PN 4145 

Copy 1 




EHsH 






1 



9SX 



mMt\ 



^+> 


Uj5> 


3 . 


* JJ 


■:.: 


W J 


osS 


» 


S^fSi 


» 


3dS 


1) 


D-^ 


? 


4 <K 



wmmm 



10 



__E 



3* ~> 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



! *wf m - \ 





I 








■ -rrs. ' 



I UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.} 



5 3?^ 



>-1P 









y^ 



i^fe 



»i 



%r {mm 



m$ 



IL'J&Zk 



3 .3 X" 

> \ V 

.$ 3 > 






a 



\ w i 


>> 


-% / :-^^-S 


' y 4i 


P 




7-h 


2 


#■$ ■ V*r 


>7 -Tl' 


p 


flj^r^ 


/ -4 A 


3 




-4 "2 


2 


J \\ ; \ His 
1 J 1 \ 


V#^ 


«i 


3'i' ! VV '■"■'.' 




il 


-==*i — B ' ^ ~ tek " 


^ "3 .". 







£>M 












3*' 






3«» 

33> 



31 
> I 



m mm 






an 



> :M« : 



mi m 




THE 



ART OF READING: 

= 

•a 

OR RULES FOR THE 

ATTAINMENT OF A JUST AND CORRECT ENUNCIATION 



WRITTEN LANGUAGE. 



MOSTLY SELECTED 



FROM WALKER'S ELEMENTS OF ELOCUTION, 

AND ADAPTED 
TO THE USE OF SCHOOLS. 



b^ 






BOSTON) 

BY CUMMINGS, HILLIARD, AND COMPANY. 



1826. 









■.: 



^ 



Y 



DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT : 

District Clerk's Office. 
BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the eleventh day of February, \. D 1826, 
and in the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, 
Cummings, Hittiar I a Co. of the s.ml district, have deposited in this office the title 
of a book, the right whereof they claim as proprietors, in the words following, to 
wit : 

" The Art of Reading : or Rules fo< the Attainment of a just and corr- ct Enun- 
ciation of Written Language. Mostly selected from Walker's Elements of Elocution, 
and adapted to the use of schools." 

In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, " Ail 
act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, 
and books to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein 
mentioned ;" and also ai act, entitled, " An act, supplementary to an act, entitled, 
* An act for ihe encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, 
and !>ooks to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein 
mentioned,' and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, 
and etching, historical and other prints." 

JOHN W. DAVIS, 
Clerk of the District of Massachusetts; 



<** 



'fir 



CAMBRIDGE t 
From the University Press— By HUliard & Metcalf. 



PREFACE. 



The Elements of Elocution is a work, which has enjoy- 
ed great reputation both in England and in this country. 
The correctness of its principles is generally admitted, 
and the rules it contains are allowed to be the most accu- 
rate guide we possess on the subject of Reading. It is 
not however, in its present form, well suited to the pur- 
poses of a school book. The volume is rather too expen- 
sive for general use, and contains much which can neither 
be applied nor understood by the majority of pupils. It 
occurred to the compiler, that an abridgment of this trea- 
tise, divested of all minute disquisition, and rendered 
strictly practical in its character, might be a useful manu- 
al for schools. This idea has been confirmed by some 
intelligent friends whom he has consulted, and hence this 
little volume is now offered to the pubfic. 

The alterations which have been attempted in the pre- 
sent compendium, as will be noticed on comparing it with 
the original work, are not numerous. They consist in 
occasionally varying the order of the Rules, in simplifying 
their "language, and in supplying a few additional exam- 
ples for practice. Where these changes occur, it is hoped 
their utility will appear sufficient to justify their intro- 
duction. 



THE 



ART OF READING, 



The Art of Reading is that system of rules, which 
teaches to pronounce written composition with justness, 
energy, variety, and force. 

The first object of every one who reads to others, 
is to be perfectly heard by those whom he addresses. 
For this purpose, three things are especially necessary. 
First, a proper loudness of the voice. This must be 
proportioned to the space which is to be filled, and the 
number of persons present. Second, a due degree of 
slowness. Third, perfect distinctness of articulation. 
An attention to these three circumstances is the foun- 
dation of all good reading. 

PAUSES. 

The next important object of attention in reading, is 
the due arrangement of pauses. This will be the sub- 
ject of the following rules. 

Rule I. The principal pause in every sentence oc- 
curs at the end, where it is always necessary to suspend 
the voice, before beginning a new sentence. 

This is the first and most obvious Rule for pausing. 
As each sentence may be considered a complete pro- 
position by itself, it is plain, that in order to distinguish 
it perfectly from that which follows, a certain interval 
must separate them. The place where this should 
occur is, of course, denoted by the period. Its dura- 
tion is varied in some measure by the length of the 
1* 



ART OF READING. 

sentence, and the number of inferior pauses it contains. 
The lime of the final pause therefore does not admit of 
any definite rule; but should always be such as to afford 
relief to the voice, and enable the reader to commence 
the ensuing sentence without undue or painful effort. 

The principal pause being thus attended to, we come 
next to consider the various subordinate pauses. 

Rule II. When the subject in a sentence consists of 
more than one word, it is necessary to pause after it. 

When a nominative and a verb come in a sentence 
unattended by adjuncts, no pause is necessary, either 
for the ear or understanding ; thus in the following sen- 
tence — Alexander wept : No pause intervenes between 
these words, because they convey only two ideas, which 
are apprehended the moment they are pronounced ; but 
if these words are amplified by dependent words, as in 
the following sentence — The great and invincible Alex- 
ander, wept for the fate of Darius : Here a pause is 
necessary between these words, not only that the organs 
may pronounce the whole with more ease, but that the 
complex nominative and verb may, by being separately 
and distinctly exhibited, be more readily and distinctly 
conceived. 

EXAMPLES. 

Sincerity and truth form the basis of every virtue. 
The appearances of security are frequently deceitful. 

This rule is so far from being unnecessary when we 
are obliged to pause after the verb, that it then becomes 
*nore essential. 

EXAMPLE. 

This account of party patches will, I am afraid, appear improbable 
Ho those who live at a distance from the fashionable world. 

■Addison's Sped. No. 81. 

If in this sentence we only pause at will, as marked 
by the printer, we shall find the verb swallowed up, as 
it were, by the nominative case, and confounded with 
it ; but if we make a short pause both before and after 
it, we shall find every .part of the sentence obvious an4 
'Ijstmct. 



PAUSES. 7 

That the nominative is more separable from the verb 
than the verb from the objective case, is plain from the 
propriety of pausing at self-love, and not at forsook, in 
the following example : 

Self-love forsook the path it first pursued, 
And fouad the private in the public good. 

Pope's Essay on Man. 

The same may be observed of the last line of the fol- 
lowing couplet: 

Earth smiles around with boundless bounty blest, 
And heaven beholds its image in his breast. Ibid. 

Here though the melody invites to a pause at beholds, 
propriety requires it at heaven. 

Rule 111. Whatever member intervenes between the 
nominative case and the verb, is of the nature of a paren- 
thesis, and must be separated from both of them by a 
short pause. 

EXAMPLE. 

When the Romans and the Sabines were at war, and just upon 
the point of giving battle, the women, who were all ed to both of 
them, interposed with so many tears and entreaties, that they pre- 
vented the mutual slaughter which threatened both parties, and 
united them together in a firm and lasting peace. Addison. 

Here the member intervening between the nomina- 
tive case women, and the verh interposed, must be sep- 
arated from both by a short pause. 

Rule IV. Whatever member intervenes between the 
verb and the objective case, is of the nature of a pa- 
renthesis, and must be separated from both by a short 
pause. 

EXAMPLE* 

I knew a person who possessed the faculty of distinguishing flavors 
in so great a perfection, that, after having tasted ten different kinds 
■of tea, he would distinguish, without seeing the colour of it, the par- 
ticular sort which was offered him. Addison. 

The member intervening between the verb distin- 
guish and the accusative the particular sort, must be 
separated from -them by a short pause* 



8 ART OF READING. 

Rule V. When two verbs come together, and the 
latter is in the infinitive mood, if any words come be- 
tween, they must be separated from the latter verb by a 
pause. 

EXAMPLE. 

No one ought, however low his station maybe, to consider himself 
indifferent in the sight of his Creator. 

In this example the phrases no one ought and to con- 
sider himself have the words however low his station 
may be interposed between them, which must therefore 
he separated from the latter by a short pause. 

Rule VI. When the substantive verb to be is followed 
by a verb in the infinitive mood, which may serve as a 
nominative case to it, and the phrases before and after 
the verb may be transposed, a pause falls between the 
verbs. 

EXAMPLES. 

The practice among the Turks is, to destroy, or imprison for life, 
any presumptive heir to the throne. 

Here the pause falls between is and to destroy. 

Their first step was, to possess themselves of Caesar's papers and 
money, and next to convene the Senate. 

Goldsmith's Roman History. 

Here we must pause between was and to possess. 

Never had this august assembly been convened upon so delicate 
an occasion, as it was, to determine whether Caesar had been a legal 
magistrate or a tyrannical usurper. Ibid. 

Here the pause comes between was and to determine. 

Rule VJI. Several subjects belonging to one verb, 
or several verbs belonging to one subject, should be sepa- 
rated from one another by a short pause. 

EXAMPLE. 

Riches, pleasure, and health, become evils to those who do not 
know how to use them. 

Here the subjects riches, pleasure, and health, belong 
each of them to the verb become ; as Riches become an 
evil, pleasure becomes an evil, and health becomes an 



pauses. y 

evil, he. Each of these, therefore, must be separated 
by a short pause ; and all of them, forming only one 
compound nominative case, must, according to Rule 11. 
be separated by a short pause from the verb. A sim- 
ilar pause occurs in the following sentence between the 
portions separated by commas. 

He went into the cavern, found the instruments, hewed down the 
trees, and in one day put the vessels in a condition for sailing. 

Telemachus. 

Rule VIII. Several adjectives belonging to one sub- 
stantive, must be separated from each other by a pause. 

EXAMPLE. 

A polite, active, and supple behaviour, is necessary to succeed in 
life. 

In case the substantive precede the adjectives, it 
must be separated from them by another pause. 

A behaviour, polite, active, and supple, is necessary to succeed in 
life. 

Rule IX. Several adverbs belonging to one verb, 
or several verbs belonging in the same manner to one ad- 
verb, are separated by a pause ; and in the first case, if 
the verb precede the adverbs, another pause must inter- 
vene between them. 

EXAMPLES. 

To love, wisely, rationally, and prudently is, in the opinion of lov- 
ers, not to love at all. 

To eat, drink, and sleep moderately, is greatly conducive to 
health. 

Rule X. Whatever words are put absolutely, form- 
ing what may be called the ablative absolute, must be 
separated from the rest by a short pause. 

EXAMPLES. 

If a man borrow ought of his neighbor, and it be hurt or die, the 
owner thereof not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 

Old Ttstamtnt. 

Here the owner thereof not being with it, is the phrase 
called the ablative absolute ; and this, like a parenthe- 
sis, must be separated from the rest of the sentence by 
a short pause on each side. 



10 ART OF READING. 

God, from the mount of Sinai, whose gray top 
Shall tremble, he descending, will himself 
In thunder, ligntning. and loud trumpets' sound 
Ordain them laws. Milton. 

Here, he descending, neither governs nor is governed by 
any other part of the sentence, and is said to be in the 
ablative absolute ; and this independence must be mark- 
ed by a short pause before and after the clause. 

Rule XI. Tivo nouns in apposition, provided either 
be accompanied by dependent words, must be separated 
by a pause. 

EXAMPLES. 

When first thy sire, to send on earth 

Virtue, his darling child, designed ; 

To thee h j gave the heavenly birth 

And bade thee form her infant mind. Gray. 

Here the word Virtue, and the following member, 
may be said to be in apposition, and must be divided 
by a short pause. 

Hence, where two titles are applied to the same per- 
son, and the latter consists of several terms, a short 
pause is necessary between them ; as, Paul, the apostle 
of the Gentiles ; George, king oj Great Britain, France, 
and Ireland, 

Rule XII. Who and which, when in the nominative 
case, and the pronoun that, when used for who or which, 
require a short pause before them. 

EXAMPLES. 

A man can never be obliged to submit to any^ power, unless he Can 
be satisfied, who is the person, who has a right to exercise it. 

Locke. 

You'll rue the time, 

That clogs me with this answer. Shakspeare. 

Nothing they but dust can show, 

Or bones, that hasten to be so. Cowley. 

Saints, that taught, and led the way to Heaven. Ticket. 

Rule XIII. When that is used as a conjunction, it 
ought always to be preceded by a short pause. 



PAUSES. 11 



EXAMPLES. 



I must therefore desire the reader to remember, that by the plea- 
sures of the imagination, I mean only such pleasures as arise origin- 
ally from sight. Spectator. 

Rule XIV. Prepositions and conjunctions are more 
united with the words they precede than with those they 
follow ; and consequently, if it be necessary to pause, 
the preposition and conjunction ought to be classed with 
the succeeding ivords, and not with the preceding, 

examples. 

I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 

Here the conjunction except, naturally associates itself 
with the latter part of the sentence, and requires a short 
pause before it. 

This let him know, 
Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend 
Surprisal. Milton. 

In this example, the conjunction lest is very properly 
separated from the preceding words by a short pause at 
know, and as the parenthetic words wiljully trangress- 
ing come between the conjunction, and the pronoun to 
which it belongs, the conjunction has very properly a 
pause both before and after it. 

People expect in a small essay, that a point of humour should be 
worked up, in all its parts, and a subject touched upon, in its most 
essential articles, without the repetitions, tautologies, and enlarge- 
ments, that are indulged to longer labours. Sped. No. 124. 

In this sentence the preposition up is separated from 
in, because it enters into the composition of the verb 
work, as to work up forms one complex verb ; the same 
may be observed of the preposition upon, in the next 
clause of the sentence. An exception to this rule will 
be found in the following. 

Rule XV. When words are placed either in oppo- 
sition to, or in opposition with each other, the words so 
placed require to be distinguished by a pause. 

EXAMPLES. 

The pleasures of the imagination, taken in their full extent, are 
not so gross as tuose of sense, nor so refintd as those ot the under- 
standing. 



12 ART OF READING. 

In this example we shall find all writers and printers 
agree in placing but one point between the four con- 
trasted parts, and this point is at sense: here, it must be 
owned, is the principal pause; but a short pause likewise 
at gross, and another at refined, convey more forcibly 
and distinctly every part of the sentence. 

The necessity of distinguishing opposite or contrast- 
ed parts in a sentence, will sometimes oblige us to sep- 
aratt words that are the most intimately united. 

EXAMPLES. 

To suppose the zodiac and planets to be efficient of, and antece- 
dent to, hcmselves, would be absurd. Btntley. 

Here the prepositions of and to are in opposition to 
each other, and both connected intimately with the 
word themselves ; but this connexion does not preclude 
the necessity of a pause after each, to show their dis- 
tinct and specific relation to their governing words, and 
their equal relation to the word themselves. Indeed, 
the words of and to, in this sentence, are emphatical, 
from that exactness and precision, which the argument 
seems to require. 

It is objected by readers of history, that the battles in those nar- 
rations are scarce ever to be understood. This misfortune is to be 
ascribed to the ignorance of historians, in the methods of drawing 
up, changing the forms of a battalia, and the enemy retreating from, 
as well as approaching to, the charge. Spectator, No. 428. 

The pretexts were, his having invaded and overcome many states 
that were in alliance with, and under the protection of Rome. 

Goldsmith's Rom. Hist. 

Though a pause seems admissible both after from and 
to in this sentence, yet the opposition between these 
propositions seems as much marked by emphasis as by 
rest: and in examples of this kind it seems necessary 
to pause a smaller time after the last preposition than 
after the first. 

Rule XVI. When a sentence consists of two parts, 
connected by a conjunction, these parts must be separated 
by a pause. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE TOICE. 13 

EXAMPLES. 

innocence confers tranquillity on the mind, and leaves it open to 
every pleasing sensation. 

Sometimes the two parts commence with corres- 
ponding conjunctions, as in the following sentence. 

As we cannot discern the shadow moving along the dial-plate, so 
the advances we make in knowledge are only perceivable by the 
distance gone over. 

A sentence of this sort, where the first part depends on 
the latter for sense, is called a Direct Period. 
Sometimes the latter conjunction is understood. 

EXAMPLE* 

As in my speculations I have endeavoured to extinguish passion 
and prejudice, I am still desirous of doing some good in this par- 
ticular. 

Here the word so, answering to as, is implied by the 
sensi*, and the pause of course falls at the comma. 

Where the first part forms sense, but is modified by 
the last, it is called an Inverted Period. 

EXAMPLE. 

Many things are believed, though they exceed the capacity of our 
Wits. 

Where the first part is independent of the second, 
they constitute a Loose Sentence. 

EXAMPLE. 

Persons of good taste expect to be pleased, at the same time they 
are informed ; and think that the best sense always deserves the best 
language. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 

Besides the pauses which indicate a greater or less 
separation of the parts of a sentence and its conclusion, 
there are certain inflexions of voice accompanying these 
pauses, which are equally necessary to the sense; these 



14 ART OF READING. 

are called the rising and the falling Inflection. They 
may be illustrated by the following Example. 

Caesar does not deserve fame, but blame. 

Here, in the most natural and obvious mode of reading 
the sentence, the rising inflection accompanies the pause 
at fame, and the falling occurs at blame : and we find all 
sentences constructed in the same manner have, like 
this, the rising inflection on the negative, and the falling 
on the affirmative member. 

The distinction of the inflections is still better shewn 
by placing the same word in opposition to itself. 

Does he say fame, or fame ? 
He does not say fame, but fame. 

Every reader, in pronouncing the above phrases, will 
give the first fame the rising, and the last the falling in- 
flection. 

The rising inflection is marked with the acute ac- 
cent ('); the falling with the grave accent ( v ). 

FURTHER EXAMPLES. 

Did he do it voluntarily, or involuntarily. 
He did it voluntarily, not involuntarily. 

Exercise and temperance strengthen the constitution. 
Exercise and temperance strengthen the constitution, and sweeten 
the enjoyments of life. 

The variations of tone, which these passages require, 
are more minutely shewn in the following plate, where 
the rising and falling inflections are denoted by a cor- 
responding direction of the words. 

EXPLANATION OF THE PLATE. 

The sentence, No. I. and any other sentence con- 
structed in exactly the same manner, must necessarily 
adopt the rising inflection on the first member, and the 
falling on the last ; that is, the rising inflection on vol- 
untarily, and the falling on involuntarily ; and ibis pro- 
nunciation is so appropriated to this species of sentence, 
that the dullest and most unpractised ear would, with- 
out the least reflection, adopt it. The same may be 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 15 

said of the sentence, No. II. which every ear would 
agree in pronouncing with the same inflections in a 
contrary order; that is, the falling inflection on volun- 
tarily, and the rising on involuntarily. 

No. 111. and IV. shew, that the same words take dif- 
ferent inflections in correspondence with the sense and 
structure of the sentence ; for as the word constitution, 
in No. IV". only ends a member of the sentence, and 
leaves the sense unfinished, it necessarily adopts the 
suspending or rising inflection ; and harmony requires 
that the preceding words should be so arranged, as to 
form the greatest harmony and variety, which is done 
by giving every one of the words an inflection, different 
from what it has in No. III. where constitution ends the 
sentence. 

The inflections being thus explained, we next pro- 
ceed to the rules for their application. 

COMPACT SENTENCE. 

Rule XVII. Every direct period, so constructed as 
to have its two principal constructive parts connected by 
correspondent conjunctions, requires the long pause with 
the rising inflection at the end of the first principal con- 
structive member. 

EXAMPLES. 

As we cannot discern the shadow moving along the dial-plate, so 
the advances Ave make in knowledge are only perceivable by the 
distance gone over. 

As we perceive the shadow to have moved, but did not perceive it 
m6ving ; so our advances in learning, consisting of insensible steps, 
are only perceivable by the distance. 

As we perceive the shadow to have moved along the dial, but did 
not perceive it moving; and it appears the grass has grown, though 
nobody ever saw it grow : so the advances we make in knowledge, 
as they consist of such minute steps, are only perceivable by the 
distance. 

| Each of these three sentences consists of two prin- 
cipal correspondent parts ; the first commencing with 
as, and the last with so ; as the first member of the 
first sentence is simple, it is marked with a comma only 



16 ART OF READING. 

at dial-plate; as the second is compounded, it is mark- 
ed with a semicolon at moving ; and as the last is com- 
pounded, it is marked with a colon at grow ; for it is 
certainly proper that the time of the pause should in- 
crease with the increase and complexity of the mem- 
bers to which it is annexed, as more time is required 
to comprehend a large and complicated member than a 
short and simple one : but whatever may be the time 
taken up in pausing at the different points, the inflec- 
tion annexed to them must always be the same ; that 
is, the comma, semicolon, and colon, must invariably 
have the rising inflection. 

The same may be observed of the following sen- 
tences : 

Although I fear it may be a shame to be dismayed at the entrance 
of my discourse in defence of a most valiant man ; and that it no 
ways becomes me, while Milo is more concerned for the safety of 
the state than for himself, not to show the same greatness of mind 
in behalf of him ; yet this new form of prosecution terrifies my 
eyes, which, whatever way they turn, want the ancient custom of 
the forum, and the former manner of trials. 

Cicero's Oralion for Milo. 

Although, son Marcus, as you have now been a hearer of Cratip- 
pus for a year, and this at Athens, you ought to abound in the pre- 
cepts and doctrines of philosophy, by reason of the great character 
both of your instructer and the city, one of which can furnish you 
with knowledge, and the other with examples; yet, as I alwavs to 
my advantage joined the Latin tongue with the Greek, and I have 
done it not only in oratory, but likewise in philosophy, I think you 
ought to do the same that you may be equally conversant in both 
languages. Cicero's Offices, book 1. chap. 1. 

These sentences begin with the concessive conjunction 
although, and have their correspondent conjunction yet ; 
and these conjunctions form the two principal con- 
structive members. The words him and examples, 
therefore, at the end of the first members, must have 
the rising inflection, and here must be the long pause. 

Rule XVIll. Every direct period, consisting of 
two principal constructive parts, and having only the 
first part commence with a conjunction, requires the ris~> 
ing inflection and long pause at the end of this part. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 17 

EXAMPLES. 

As in my speculations I have endeavored to extinguish passion 
and prejudice, I am still desirous of doing some good in this partic- 
ular. Spectator. 

Here the sentence divides itself into two correspon- 
dent parts at prejudice ; and as the word so is under- 
stood before the words / am, they must be preceded by 
the long pause and rising inflection. 

If impudence prevailed as much in the forum and courts of jus- 
tice, as insolence does in the country and places of less res6rt ; Au- 
lus Caecina would submit as much to the impudence of Sextus 
iEbutius in this cause, as he did before to his insolence when as- 
saulted by him. 

If I have any genius, which I am sensible can be but very small ; 
or any readiness in speaking, in which I do not deny but I have been 
much conversant ; or any skill in oratory, from an acquaintance 
with the best arts to which I confess I have been always inclined : 
no one has a better right to demand of me the fruit of all these 
things than this Aulus Licinius. Cicero's Oration for Archias. 

If, after surveying the whole earth at once, and the several planets 
ihat lie within its neighbourhood, we contemplate those wide fields 
of ether^ that reach in height as far as from Saturn to the fixed stars, 
and run abroad, almost to an infinitude ; our imagination finds its 
capacity filled with so immense a prospect, and puts itself upon the 
stretch to comprehend it. Addison's Spectator, No. 411. 

In the first of these examples, the first part of the 
sentence ends at resort, and the second begins at Aulus 
Ccecina : in the second sentence, the fi i st part ends at 
inclined, and the second begins at no one ; and in the 
third the first part ends at infinitude, and the second be- 
gins at our: between these words, therefore, in each 
sentence, must be inserted the long pause and rising 
inflection. 

Ail these sentences commence with a conjunction, 
and may be said to have a correspondent conjunction 
commencing the second part of the sentence, not ex- 
pressed, but understood. In the first sentence com- 
mencing with if, then is understood at the beginning of 
the second part ; the sense of this conjunctive adverb 
then may be plainly perceived to exist by inserting it 
in the sentence, and observing its suitableness when 
expressed : 

2* 



18 ART OF READING. 

If impudence prevailed as much in the forum and courts of 
j'istice, as insolence does in the country and places of less resort ; 
then Aulus Caecina would submit as much to the impudence of Sex- 
tus iFibutius in this cause, as he did before to his insolence when 
assaulted by him. 

The same insertion of the word then might be made 
in the two last examples commencing with if, and the 
same suitableness would appear ; for though correct and 
animated language tends to suppress as much as possible 
the words that are so implied in the sense as to make it 
unnecessary to express them, yet if, when inserted, 
they are suitable to the sense, it is a proof that the 
structure of the sentence is perfectly the same, whether 
these superfluous words are expressed or not. 

Exception. The exception to this rule is, when 
the emphatical word in the conditional part of the sen- 
tence is in direct opposition to another word in the con- 
clusion, and a concession is implied in the former, in 
order to strengthen the argument in the latter ; for in 
this case the middle of the sentence has the falling, and 
the latter member the rising inflection. 

If we have no regard for religion in youth, we ought to have some 
regard for it in age. 

If we have no regard for our own character, we ought to have 
some regard for the character of others. 

In these examples, we find the words youth, and own 
character, have the falling inflection, and both periods 
end with the rising inflection ; but if these sentences 
had been formed so as to make the latter member a 
mere inference from, or consequence of the former, the 
general rule would have taken place, and the first em- 
phatic word would have had the rising, and the last the 
falling inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

If we have no regard for religion in youth, we have seldom any 
regard for it in age. 

If we have no regard for our own character, it can scarcely be ex- 
pected that we could have any regard for the characters of others; 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 19 

Rule XIX. Direct periods which commence with 
participles of the present and past tense, consist of two 
parts ; between which must be inserted the long pause and 
rising inflection. 

EXAMPLE. 

Having already shown how the fancy is affected by the works of 
nature, and afterwards considered in genera! both the works of na- 
ture and art, how they mutually assist and complete each other, in 
forming such scenes and prospects as are most apt to delight the 
mind of the beholder; I shall in this paper throw together some re- 
flections on that particular art, which has a more immediate tenden- 
cy than any other, to produce those primary pleasures of the imag- 
ination, which have hitherto been the subject of this discourse. 

Sped. JYo. 415. 

The sense is suspended in this sentence, till the word 
beholder, and here is to be placed the Ion./ pause and 
rising inflection ; in this place also, it is evident, the 
word now might be inserted in perfect conformity to 
the sense. 

INVERTED PERIOD. 

Rule XX. Every period, where the first part 

forms perfect sense by itself but is modified or determined 

in its signification by the latter, has the rising inflection 

and long pause between these parts as in the direct period. 

EXAMPLES. 

Gratian very often recommends the fine taste, as the utmost per- 
fection of an accomplished man. 

In this sentence, the first member, ending at taste, 
forms perfect sense, but is qualified by the last : for 
Gratiau is not said simply to recommend the fine taste, 
but to recommend it in a certain way; that is, as the 
utmost perfection of an accomplished man. The same 
may be observed of the following sentence : 

Persons of good taste expect to be pleased, at the same time they 
are informed. 

Here perfect sense is formed at pleased ; but it is not 
meant that persons of good taste are pleased in gener- 
al, but with reference to the time they are informed : 
the words taste and pleased, mere fore, in these sen- 



20 ART OP READING. 

tences, we must pronounce with the rising inflection, 
and accompany this inflection with a pause. For the 
same reasons, the same pause and inflection must pre- 
cede the word though in the following example : 

1 can desire to perceive those things that God has prepared for 
those that 16ve him. though Ihey be such as eye hath not seen, ear 
heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive. 

Locke. 

ANTITHESIS. 
Rule XXI. When a sentence has two parts corres- 
ponding with each other, so as to form an antithesis, the 
first part must terminate with the rising inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

We are always complaining our days are few, and acting as 
though there should be no end of them. Spectator, No. 93. 

I imagined that I was admitted into a long spacious gallery, which 
had one side covered with pieces, of all the famous painters who are 
now living ; and the other with the greatest masters who are dead. 

Ibid, No. 83. 

The wicked may indeed taste a malignant kind of pleasure, in 
those actions to which they are accustomed whilst in this life ; but 
when they are removed from all those objects which are here apt to 
gratify them, they will naturally become their own tormentors. 

Ibid. No. 447. 

The pleasures of the imagination are not so gross as those of 
sense, nor so refined as those of the understanding. Ibid. No. 411. 

In all these examples, the relation between the for- 
mer and latter part is so intimate, that though the first 
forms perfect sense, it is incomplete without the last ; 
and therefore the words few in the first example, sense 
in the second, living in the third, and this life in the 
fourth, must necessarily adopt the rising inflection. For 
the same reason, the same inflection must take place 
on the word succeed in the following example : 

Cicero concludes his celebrated books de Oralore, with some pre- 
cepts for pronunciation and action ; without which part, he affirms, 
that the best orator in the wo^ld can never succeed, and an indiffer- 
ent one, who is master of this, shall gain much greater applause. 

LOOSE SENTENCE. 
Rule XXII. Every member of a sentence forming 
consistent sense % and followed by two other members 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 21 

which do not modify or restrain its signification, admits 
of the falling inflection. 

examples. 

It is this that recommends variety, where the mind is every instant 
sailed off to something new, and the attention not suffered to dwell 
too long on any particular ohject. Spectator. 

For this reason, there is nothing more enlivens a prospect than 
rivers, jetteaus, and fails of water, where the scene is perpetually 
shitting, and entertaining the sight every moment with something 
that is new. Ibid. 

At a little distance from my friend's house, among the ruins of an 
old abbry, there is a long walk of aged elms ; which are shot up so 
very high, that when one passes under them, the rooks and crows 
that rest upon the tops of them seem to be cawing in another region. 

Rule XXIII. The member of a sentence immedi- 
ately preceding the last, requires the rising inflection, 

EXAMPLES. 

Aristotle tells us, that the world is a copy or transcript of those 
ideas which are in the mind of the first Being, and that those ideas 
which are in the mind of man are a transcrip of the world : to this 
we may add, that words are the transcript of those ideas which are 
in the mind of man, and that writing or printing are the transcript of 
words. Sped. No. 166. 

In this example, if there were no connexion between 
the two last members from the antithesis they contain, 
the rising inflection would be necessary at the end of 
the penultimate member, for the sake of sound. 

In short, a modern Pindaric writer, compared with Pindar, is like 
a sister among the Camisars, compared with Virgil's Sybil ; there is 
the distortion, grimace, and outward figure, but nothing of that divine 
impulse which raises the mind above itself, and makes the sounds 
more than human Sped. No. 160. 

The florist, the planter, the gardener, the husbandman, when they 
are accomplishments to the man of fortune, are great reliefs to a 
couutry life, and many ways useful to those who are possessed of 
them. Jbid. No. 93. 

In the first of these examples the sentence might 
have finished at itself and in the last at life, for the 
succeeding members do not modify them; but, as they 
are penultimate members, they necessarily require the 
rising inflection, 



22 ART OF READING. 

Exception. Emphasis, which controls every other 
rule in reading, forms an exception to this ; which is, 
tint where an emphatic word is in the first memher 
of a sentence, and the last has no emphatical word, this 
penultimate member then terminates with the falling in- 
flection. 

EXAMPLES. 

I must therefore desire the reader to remember, that by the pleas- 
ures of the imagination, I mean only such pleasures as arise origin- 
ally from sight ; and that I divide these pleasures into two kinds. 

Sped. No. 411. 

In this sentence the word sight is emphatical, and 
therefore, though in the penultimate member, must not 
have the rising, but the falling inflection, as this is the 
inflection best suited to the sense of the emphatic 
phrase. 

FINAL PAUSE. 
Rule XXIV. The final pause or period in a sen- 
tence requires the falling inflection, and a descending 
tone of voice on the concluding words, 

EXAMPLES. 

Exercise and temperance strengthen the constitution. 
Exercise and temperance strengthen the constitution, and sweeten 
the enjoyments of life. 

Here the words constitution and life, as they suc- 
cessively terminate the sentence, naturally assume the 
falling inflection. 

Exception. An exception to this rule has been al- 
ready referred to, under the head of Rule XIX. It 
occurs where the first part of an antithetic sentence re- 
quires the strong emphasis and falling inflection ; in 
consequence of which the latter adopts the rising. 

EXAMPLES. 

If we have no regard for religion in youth, we ought to have some 
regard for it in age. 

If content cannot remove the disquietudes of mankind, it will at 
Jeast alleviate them. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 23 

Another exception is, where the last member of a 
sentence is negative, i i opposition to an affirmative, 
either expressed or understood. St-e Plate No. II. 
This wiii be again considered, under the head of Em- 
phasis. 

SERfES. 

A succession of similar members, succeeding each 
other in the same sentence, is called a Series. 

If these members consist of single words, they form 
a Simple Series; if of several, a Compound Series. 

SIMPLE SERIES. 
Rule XXV. When two members, consisting of sin- 
gle words, commence a sentence, the first must have the 
falling and the last the rising inflection. 

E'xercise and temperance strengthen the constitution. 

The difference of tone which distinguishes the com- 
mencing words of this sentence, will be much more 
perceptible, by referring to the explanation of the Plate. 

Rule XXVI. When two members, consisting of sin- 
Je words i conclude a sentence, as the last must natural- 
y have the falling inflection, the last but one assumes 
the rising inflection. 

The constitution is strengthened by exercise and temperance. 

This rule is the converse of the former. It must, 
however, be observed, that sentences of this kind, 
which can scarcely be called a series of particulars, 
may, when commencing, assume a different order of 
inflections on the first w T ords, when the succeeding 
clause does not conclude the sentence. This may be 
illustrated by consulting the Plate No. III. and IV.; 
where we see exercise and temperance, when the next 
clause concludes the sentence, as in No, III. adopt one 
order of inflections ; and the same words, when the 
next clause does not conclude, as in No. IV. adopt a 
quite opposite order. Not that this order in No. IV. 



24 ART OF READING. 

is absolutely necessary, as that in No. III. ; but it may 
always be adopted when we wish to be more harmoni- 
ous and emphaticul. 

Rule XXVII. When three members of a sentence) 
consisting of single words, succeed each other in a com- 
mencing series, the two last are to be pronounced as in 
Rule XXV. and the first with the falling inflection, in 
a somewhat lower tone than the second. 

EXAMPLES. 

Manufactures, trade, and agriculture, naturally employ more than 
nineteen parts of the species in twenty. Sped. No. 115. 

A man that has a taste of miisic, painting, or architecture, is like 
one that has another sense, when compared with such as have no 
relish for those arts. Ibid. Wo. 93. 

Rule XXVIII. When three members of a sentence, 
consisting of single words, succeed each other in a con- 
cluding series, the two last are to be pronounced as in 
Rule XXV. and the first with the rising inflection in 
a little higher tone than the second. 

EXAMPLE.^ 

A modern Pindaric writer compared with Pindar, is like a sister 
among the Camisars compared with Virgil's Sybil ; the one gives 
that divine impulse which raises the mind above itself, and makes 
the sounds more than human, while the other abounds with nothing 
but distortion, grimace, and outward figure. 

Exception. Sometimes, w T hen the subject demands 
unusual force or solemnity, the first of three concluding 
members requires the falling inflection. 

Rule XXIX. When four members of a sentence, 
consisting of single words, succeed each other in a com- 
mencing series, they may be divided into two equal por- 
tions : the first member of the first portion must be pro- 
nounced with the rising, and the second with the foiling 
inflection, as in Rule XXVI. ; and the two mem.ers of 
the last portion exactly the reverse, that is, according to 
Rule XXV. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 25 

EXAMPLES. 

Metals, minerals, plants, and meteors, contain a thousand curious 
properties which are as engaging to the fancy as to the reason. 

Sped. No. 420. 

Proofs of the immortality of the soul may justly be drawn from 
the nature of the Suprem a Being, whose just.ce, goodness, wisdom, 
and veracity, are all concerned in this great point. Sped. No. 111. 

The florist, the planter, the gardener, the husbandman, when they 
are only accomplishments to the man of fortune, are great reliefs to 
a country life, and many ways useful to those who are possessed of 
them. Ibid. No. 93. 

Rule XXX, When four members of a sentence, 
consisting of single words, succeed each other in a con- 
cluding series, a pause may, as in the former rule, divide 
them into two equal portions : but they are to be pro- 
nounced with exactly contrary inflections ; that is, the 
two first must be pronounced according to Rule XXV". 
and the two last according to Rule XXVI. 

example. 

There is something very engaging to the fancy as well as to our 
reason, in the treatises of metals, minerals, plants, and meteors. 

Sped, No. 420. 

An instance of the variety of inflection with which a 
series of four particulars is pronounced, and of the di- 
versity of inflection which the series requires, as it is 
either commencing or concluding, will be illustrated by 
the following example .* 

He who resigns the world, has no temptation to envy, hatred, 
malice, anger, but is in constant possession of a serene mind ; he 
who follows the pleasures of it, which are in their very nature dis- 
appointing, is in constant search of care, solicitude remorse, and 
confusion. Spedator, No. 282. 

The first series in this sentence, being a commenc- 
ing series, is pronounced as in Rule XX.IX. ; and the 
last, as a concluding series, according to Rule XXX. 

These rules might be carried to a much greater 
length; but too nice an atteoti >n to them, in a long se- 
ries, might not only be very difficult, but give an air of 
stiffness to the pronunciation, which would not be com- 
pensated by the propriety* It mjy bv sufficient there- 
fore, to observe, that in a long enumeration of particu- 
3 



26 ART OF READING. 

lars, it would not be improper to divide them into por- 
tions of three ; and if we are not reading extempore, 
as it may be called, this division of a series into portions 
of three ought to commence from the end of the series; 
that if it is a commencing, we may pronounce the last 
portion as in Rule XXV1L ; and if it is a concluding 
series, we may pronounce the last portion according 10 
the Exception annexed to Rule XXVHI. 

COMMENCING SERIES. 

EXAMPLE. 

Love, joy, peace ; long suffering, gentleness, goodness ; faith, 
meekness, temperance, are the fruits of the Spirit, and against such 
there is no law. 

CONCLUDING SERIES. 

EXAMPLE. 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace ; long suffering, gen- 
tleness, goodness ; faith, meekness, temperance : — Against such there 
is no law. Galatiuns, chap. v. 

COMPOUND SERIES. 

When the members of a series consist of several words, 
or comprehend several distinct members of sentences, 
they ate under somewhat different laws from those con- 
sisting of single words. In a single series the ear is 
chiefly consulted, and the inflections of voice are so 
arranged as to produce the greatest variety ; but in a 
compound series the understanding takes the lead : 
For as a number of similar members of sentences in 
succession form a sort of climax in the sense, this cli- 
max can be no way pronounced so forcibly as by 
adopting the same inflection which is used for the 
strong emphasis ; for, by this means, the sense is not 
only placed in a more distinct point of view, but the 
voice enabled to rise gradually upon every particular, 
and thus add to force an agreeable variety. 

In pronouncing the compound series, therefore, it 
must be carefully noted, that the second member ougM 
to be pronounced a litile higher, and more forcibly than 
the first, the third than the second, and so ou : and for 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 27 

this purpose, if the members are numerous, it is evi- 
dently necessary to pronounce the first member in so 
low a tone as to admit of rising gradually on the same 
inflection to the last. 

Rule XXXII. Where a compound series commences 
a sentence, the falling inflection takes place on every 
member but the last ; where it concludes a sentence, this 
inflection is required on every member except the last 
but one, 

COMMENCING SERIES. 

EXAMPLES. 

Moderate exercise and habitual temperance, strengthen the con- 
stitution. 

In this example, we find the first member, ending at 
exercise, pronounced with the falling, and the second 
at temperance, with the rising inflection. 

To advise the ignorant, relieve the needy, comfort the afflic'ted, 
*re duties that fall in our way, almost every day of our lives. 

Sped. No. 93. 

Labour or exercise ferments the humours, casts them inte their 
proper channel, throws of redundancies, and helps Nature in those 
secret distributions, without which the body cannot subsist in its 
vigour, nor the soul act with cheerfulness. Ibid. No. 113. 

The descriptive part of this allegory is likewise very strong, and 
full of sublime ideas. The figure of Death, the regal crown upon his 
head, his menace of Satan, his advancing to the combat, the outcry 
at his bir'th, are circumstances too noble to be passed over in si- 
lence, and extremely suitable to this king of terrors. Ibid. No. 310. 

CONCLUDING SERIES. 

EXAMPLES. 

Nothing tends more powerfully to strengthen the constitution, 
than moderate exercise, and habitual temperance. 

In this example the first member, at exercise, is pro- 
nounced with the rising inflection ; the last at temper- 
ance with the falling, and, since it concludes the sen- 
tence, in a lower tone than the preceding words. See 
Rule XXIV. 

It was necessary for the world, that arts should be invented and 
improved, books written and transmitted to posteritv, nations con- 
quered and civilized, Sped. No, 255. 



28 



ART OF READING. 



Notwithstanding all the pains which Cicero took in the education 
of his son, history imforms us that young Marcus proved a mere 
blockhead ; and that Nature, who it seems was even with the son 
for her prodigality to the father, rendered him incapable of improv- 
ing by all the rules of eloquence, the precepts of philosophy, his own 
endeavors, and the most refined conversation in Athens. 

Ibid No. 307. 

Though we seem grieved at the shortness of life in general, we 
are wishing every period of it at an end. The minor longs to be at 
age, then to be a man of business, then to make up an estate, then to 
arrive at honours, then to retire. Ibid. No. 93. 

EXERCISES ON THE SERIES. 

A temperate spirit, and moderate expectations, are excellent safe- 
guards of the mind, in this uncertain and changing world. 

To be wise in our own eyes, to be wise in the opinion of the world, 
and to be wise in the sight of our Creator, are three things so very 
different, as rarely to coincide. 

All other arts of perpetuating our ideas, except writing and print- 
ing, continue but a short lime. Statues can last but a few thousands 
of years, edifices fewer, and colours still fewer than edifices. 

Sped. No. 166. 

The book is well written, and I have perused it with pleasure and 
profit. It shows, first, that true devotion is rational and well found- 
ed ; next that it is of the highest importance to every other part o 
religion and virtue ; and lastly, that it is most conducive to our hap- 
piness. 

There is no blessing of life comparable to the enjoyment of a dis- 
creet and virtuous friend. It eases and unloads the mind, clears and 
improves the understanding, engenders thoughts and knowledge, an- 
imates virtue and good resolutions, and finds employment for the 
most vacant hours of life. Spectator, No- 93. 

The devout man does not believe but feels there is a Deity ; he 
has actual sensations of him ; his experience concurs with his reason ; 
he sees him more and more in all his intercourses with him, and 
even in this life almost loses his faith in conviction. Ibid. No. 465. 

Nature has laid out all her art in beautifying the face ; she has 
touched it with vermilion ; planted in it a double row of ivory ; 
made it the seat of smiles and blushes ; lighted it up and enlivened 
it with the brightness of the eyes ; hung it on each side with curious 
organs of sense ; given it airs and graces that cannot be described ; 
and surrounded it with such a flowing shade of hair, as sets all its 
beauties in the most agreeable light. Ibid. No. 98. 

SERIES OF SERIES. 
When the members of a series, either from their 
similitude or contrariety to each other, fall into pairs or 
triplets ; these pairs or triplets, considered as whole 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 29 

members, are pronounced according to the rules re- 
specting those members of a series that consist of more 
than a single word ; but the parts of which these mem- 
bers are composed, if consisting of single words, are 
pronounced according to those rules which relate to 
those members that consist of single words, as far as 
their subordination to the whole series of members will 
permit. Hence arises, 

Rule XXXII. When several members of a sentence 
consisting of distinct portions of words in a series, fol- 
low in succession, they must be pronounced singly, ac- 
cording to the number of members in each portion ; and 
together, according to the number of portions in the 
tuhole sentence, that the whole may form one related com- 
pound series, 

EXAMPLES. 

The soul cojnsists of many faculties, as the understanding and the 
will, with all the senses both inward and outward ; or, to speak more 
philosophically, the soul can exert herself in many different ways of 
action: she can understand, will imagine; see and hear; love and 
discourse ; and apply herself to many other like exercises of differ- 
ent kinds and natures. Spectator, No. 600. 

The first portion of this series of series, she can un- 
derstand, will, imagine, as it contains one complete por- 
tion, may be considered as a concluding series ; and as 
it forms but one portion of a great series, it may be 
considered as a commencing one, and must be pro- 
nounced in subserviency to it ; that is, the first and 
second word must have the risi.ig, and the last the fall- 
ing inflection, but without dropping the voice. The 
next portion must be pronounced in a si uilar manner; 
that is, the first word with the rising, and the last with 
the falling inflection, with the voice a little higher and 
more forcible on the word here than on the word im- 
agine : the next portion, being the last but one, alters 
its inflections; the firs' word having the (ailing and the 
last the rising inflection, agreeably to the rule laid dowa 
for the Compound Series. 
3* 



30 ART OF READING, 

On the other hand, those evil spirits, who, by long custom, have 
contracted in the body habits of lust and sensuality ; malice and re- 
venge ; an aversion to eveiy thing that is good, just, and laudable, 
are naturally seasoned, and prepared for pain and misery. 

Spectator, No. 447. 

As this is a commencing series of series, the last 
member of the second series may be pronounced with 
the falling inflection at revenge : and as the last portion 
has a series of three single words, they come under the 
Simple Commencing Series, Rule XXVII. 

The condition, speech, and behaviour of the dying parents ; with 
the age, innocence, and distress of the children, are set forth in such 
tender circumstances, that it is impossible for a reader of common 
humanity not to be affected with them. Spectator, No. 85. 

These two series, containing three members each, 
and not concluding the sentence, may be considered as 
a concluding and commencing series of three single 
members each, and pronounced accordingly. 

His (Satan's) pride, envy, revenge ; obstinacy, despair, and im- 
penitence, are all of them very artfully interwoven. Spect. No. 303. 

Here are two distinct series of three members, each 
of which must be pronounced exactly like the last ex- 
ample, that is, like the concluding and commencing se- 
ries of three single members. 

The man who lives under an habitual sense of the divine presence, 
keeps up a perpetual cheerfulness of temper, and enjoys every mo- 
ment the satisfaction of thinking himself in company with his dearest 
and best of friends. He no sooner steps out of the world, but his 
heart burns with devotion, swells with hope, and triumphs jn the 
consciousness of that presence which every where surrounds him ; 
or on the contrary pours out its fears, its sorrows, its apprehensions, 
to the great Supporter of his existence. Spect. No. 93. 

This sentence may be considered as a sentence con- 
sisting of two commencing series, both of which may 
be pronounced according to Rule XXXI. 

38. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life ; nor angels, 
nor principalities, nor powers; northings present, nor things to come ; 

39. Nor height, nor depth ; nor any other creature, shall ie able 
to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jea 
Lord. Romans, ch. viii. ver. 38, 39. 

Upon the first view of this passage, we find it natur- 
ally falls into certain distinct portions. These portions 



acome ; 

Ie able 
js our 
S, 39. 



\ 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 31 

seem to be five in number; the first containing two 
members, death, life; the second containing three, an- 
gels, principalities, pavers ; the third two, things pre- 
sent, things to come ; the fourth two, height, depth ; the 
fifth one, any other creature: these members, if pro- 
nounced at random, and without relation to that order 
in which they are placed by the sacred writer, lose half 
their beauty and effect ; but if each member is pro- 
nounced with an inflection of voice that corresponds to 
its situation in the sentence, the whole series becomes 
the most striking and beautiful climax imaginable. 

In order, then, to pronounce this passage properly, 
there ought to be a gradation of force from the first 
portion to the last ; and that this force may have the 
greater variety, each portion ought to be accompanied 
with a gradation of voice from low to high ; that each 
portion also may continue distinct, every portion but 
the last should be pronounced as a simple concluding 
series, with the falling inflection on the last member, 
Enforcing, and not dropping the voice ; the last mem- 
ber, according to the general rule, must have the rising 
inflection ; and in this manner of pronouncing it, the 
whole sentence has its greatest possible force, beauty, 
and variety. 

From the examples which have been adduced, we 
ha«e seen in how many instances the force, variety and 
harmony of a sentence have been improved by a pro- 
perluse of the falling inflection. The series in partic- 
ularlis indebted to this inflection for its greatest force 
and} beauty. But it is necessary to observe, that this 
inflection is not equally adapted to the pronunciation of 
eve» r series : where force, precision, or distinction is 
necessary, this inflection very happily expresses the 
senste of the sentence, and forms an agreeable climax 
of sound to the ear; but where the sense of the sen- 
tence does not require this force, precision, or distinc- 
lion^ which is the case where the sentence commences 
with a conditional or suppositive conjunction, or where 
the language is plaintive anil poetical, the falling inflec- 



32 ART OF READING. 

tion seems less suitable than the rising : this will be 
better perceived by a few examples. 

EXAMPLE. 

Seeing then that the soul has many diffierent faculties, or in other 
words many different ways of deling ; that it can be intensely pleas- 
ed or made happy by all these different faculties or ways of acting ; 
that it may be endowed with several latent faculties, which it is not 
at present in a condition to exert; that we cannot believe the soul 
is endowed with any faculty which is of no use to it ; that whenever 
any one of these facullies is transcendently pleased, the soul is in a 
state of happiness ; and in the last place, considering lhat the happi- 
ness of another world, is to be the happiness of the whole man ; who 
can question but that there is an infinite variety in those pleasures 
we are speaking of; and that this fullness of joy will be made up of 
all those pleasures, which the nature of the soul is capable of receiv- 
ing ? Spectator, No. 600. 

As the fourth member of this sentence, from its very 
nature, requires the rising inflection, and as the whole 
series is constructed on the suppositive conjunction 
seeing ; every particular member of it seems necessa- 
rily to require the rising inflection : for it may be ob- 
served as a pretty general rule, that where a condition- 
al or a suppositive conjunction commences the series, if 
there is nothing particularly emphatical in it, the rising 
inflection on each particular of the series is preferable 
to the falling, especially if the language be plaintive and 
tender. 

EXAMPLE. 

When the gay and smiling aspect of things has begun to leave the 
passages to a man's heart thus thoughtlessly unguarded; when kind 
and caressing looks of eveiy object without, that can flatter his 
senses, has conspired with the enemy within, to betray him and put 
him off his defence ; when music likewise hath lent her aid, and 
tried her power upon the passions ; when the voice of singing men, 
and the voice of singing women, with the sound of the viol and lute, 
have broke in upon his soul, and in some tender notes have touched 
the secret springs of rapture, — that moment let us dissect and look 
into his heart; — see how vain, how weak, how empty a thing it is! 
Sterne's Sermon on the House of Mourning, fyc. 

In this example, the plaintive tone whhh the whole 
sentence requires, gives it an air of poetry, and makes 
the falling inflection too harsh to terminate the several 
particulars ; for it may be observed in passing, that & 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 33 

series of particulars are as seldom to be pronounced 
with the falling inflection in poetry, as they are for the 
most part to be so pronounced in pruse. The reason 
of this, perhaps, may be, that, as poetry assumes so 
often the ornamental and the plaintive, where a distinct 
and emphatic enumeration is not so much the object as 
a nohle or a tender one ; that expression which gives 
the idea of force and familiarity is not so suitable to 
poetry as to prose : as a confirmation of this we may 
observe, that when poetry becomes either forceful or 
familiar, the falling inflection is then properly adopted 
in the pronunciation of the series. 

EXAMPLE. 

Love in these labyrinths his slaves detains, 
And mighty hearts are held in slender chains. 
With hairy springes we the birds betray, 
Slight lines of hair surprise the finny prey ; 
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare, 
And beauty draws us with a single hair. 

Rape of the Locke, Canto ii. ver. 23. 

Here the emphasis on each particular requires the 
first and second to be pronounced with the falling 
inflection, as in the general Rule of the Compound 
Series. 

But rhyming poetry so seldom admits of this inflec- 
tion in the series, that the general rule is for a contrary 
pronunciation. 

EXAMPLE. 

So when the faithful pencil has design'd 
Some bright idea of the master's mind, 
Where a new world leaps out at his command, 
And ready nature waits upon his hand; 
When the ripe colours soften and unite, 
And sweetly melt into just shade and light ; 
When mellowing years their full perfection give, 
And each bold ligure just begins to live ; 
The treacherous colours the fair art betray, 
And all the bright creation fades away. 

Pope's Essay on Crit. ver. 404. 

In this example we find every particular, except the 
last, adopt the rising inflection, as more agreeable to 
the pathetic tenor of the passage than the falling : and 



34 ART OF READTNS. 

it may be observed, that there are few passages of this 
sort in rhyming poetry, of the. pathetic or ornamental 
kind, which do not necessarily require the same in- 
flection. 

INTERROGATION. 

The most obvious distinction between interrogative 
and other sentences is, that as, in other sentences, the 
substantive or pronoun precedes the verb it governs, in 
an interrogative sentence, the verb, either auxiliary or 
principal, ought always to precede either the substan- 
tive or pronoun. Thus, when I speak declaratively, I 
say, / am going to college ; but when I speak interrog- 
atively, I say, vire you going to college ? where we ob- 
serve, that in the declarative and interrogative sentences, 
the pronoun and the verb hold different places. 

This inversion of the common order of the words in 
composition, is accompanied by a similar inversion of 
the inflection of voice in pronunciation ; for as the com- 
mon order of inflections in a declarative sentence, is that 
of placing the rising inflection towards the middle, and 
the falling at the end, as in the first example ; the in- 
terrogation inverts this order, and uses the falling inflec- 
tion of voice in the midddle of the sentence, and the 
rising on the last word, as in the last example. This 
inflection of voice, however, which thus distinguishes 
the interrogation, seems entirely confined to those 
questions which are formed without the interrogative 
pronouns or adverbs. When a question commences 
with one of these, it has invariably the same inflection 
as the declarative sentence, unless we have either not 
heard, or mistaken an answer just given us : for in that 
case, the emphasis is placed on the interrogative word ; 
and the voice elevated by the rising inflection on the 
end of the sentence. Thus, if we say simply, When 
do you go to college ? the word college has the falling 
inflection, and the voice is no more elevated than if, 
being acquainted with the time, we should s >y, Jit that 
time I find you go to college : but if we have mistaken 
the answer that has been given us concerning the time. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 35 

we say, When do you go to college ? we lay a consider- 
ble stress upon the word when, and suspend the voice 
with the rising inflection to tne end of the sentence. 

A^ain ; if sve ask a question without previous con- 
versation, or reference to any thing that has passed, if 
we do not use the interrogative words, we infallibly use 
the rising inflection, and elevate the voice on tiie end of 
the question ; thus when we meet, and say — Are you go- 
ing to college? if we have the least eagerness for informa* 
tion. the voice is elevated and suspended with the rising 
inflection on the last word : but if the person we speak 
to, either does not hear, or else mistakes what we say, 
so as to make it necessary to repeal the question, we 
then adopt ihe failing inflection on the last word, and, 
giving it some degree of emphasis, say, Are you going 
to college ? with the same inflection of voice, and in 
nearly the same tone, with which we should say simply, 
You arc now going to college ; precisely reversing that 
upward turn of voice which distinguishes the first 
question. 

Thus we find the immediate repetition of the same 
question requires a different inflection of voice accord- 
ing to its form. When we ask a question commencing 
with an interrogative word, as — When do you go to 
college ? and from a mistake of the answer about the 
time, repeat this question, we use the rising inflection 
of voice, and elevate it to the end, as — When do you 
go to college ? On the contrary, when we first ask a 
question without the interrogative word, we use the 
rising inflection, and raise the voice on the last word, 
as — Are you going to college? and when we repeat the 
question, we use the falling inflection of voice on the 
last word; and though we may pronounce the last word 
louder than the rest, we do not use the rising inflection 
as in the former case, but the falling, as — / say, are you 
going to college? 

From these observations it appears, that with respect 
to pronunciation, all questions may he divided in!'.' two 
classes ; namely, into such as are (homed by the inter- 
rogative pronouns or adverbs, and into such as are 



36 ART OF READING. 

formed only by an inversion of the common arrange- 
ment of the words : that the first with respect to in- 
flection of voice, except in the cises already mention- 
ed, may be considered as purely declarative, and like 
declarative sentences require the falling inflection at the 
end : that the last, with some lew exceptions, require 
the rising inflection of voice on tiie last word ; and that 
it is this rising inflection at the end which distinguishes 
them from almost every other species of sentence. Of 
both these in their order. 

THE QUESTION WITH THE INTERROGATIVE 
WORDS. 
Rule XX Kill. JVken an interrogative sentence com- 
mences with any of the interrogative pronouns or ad- 
verbs, with resyert to inflection, elevation, or depression 
of voice, it is pronounced exactly like a declarative sen- 
tence. 

EXAMPLES. 

How can he exalt his thoughts to any thing great and nohle, who 
only believes that after a short turn on the stage of this world, he is 
to sink into oblivion, and to lose his consciousness for ever? 

Sped. No. 210. 

As an illustration of the rule, we need only alter two 
or three of the words in this example to reduce it to a 
declarative sentence ; and we shall find the inflection, 
elevation, and depression of voice on every part of it 
thS same. 

He cannot exalt his thoughts to any tiling great or noble, be- 
cause he only believes that after a short turn on the stage of this 
world, he is to sink into oblivion, and to lose his consciousness for 
ever. 

Here we perceive, that the two sentences, though one 
is an interrogation, and the other a declaration, end 
both witii the same inflection of voice, and that the 
falling inflection ; hut if we convert these words into an 
interrogation, by leaving out the interrogative word, we 
shall soon perceive the difference. 



INFLECTIONS '-' 1"HE VOICE. Wi 



Can he exalt his thoughts to anything great or noble, who only 
believes that after a short tarn on the :: this world, he is to 

sink into oblirk) i & to lose his coni doaso : :or ever ? 

In pronounc _ this sentence with propriety, we find 
the ■ \'- i ide upwards on the last words, contrary lo 
the inflection if la kes :/. the two formei examples. 

Rule XXXIV. Interrogative sentences commencing 
tcith inter rogi uting of members in a 

series depending necessarily \ each other for sense, 
to he pronounced as a series of members of ike same kind 
declarative :-.:.:-. xe. 

EXAMPLES. 

From whence can he produce such cogent exhortations to the 
practice of every virtue, such ardent excitements to pi*-ty and devo- 
tion, a-id snch assfc ince 1 a attain them, as those tvhich are to be met 
.aout every page of these inimitable wiftngs ; 

Jenynss View of the Internal Erid. p. 41. 

Where, amidst the dark floods of pagan philosophy, can he shew 
ica a clear prospect of a future state, the immortality of the 
the resin eetion e lead, and the general judgment, as in 

St. Paul's first Epistle to the CoriEthie: is Rid. page 40. 

Bat the Pan lise Lost only as it regards osr present 

subject; what c^n be conceived sreater than the battle of anir ;. 
the majesty of Messiah le stature and behaviour of Ss fan and his 
piers! : i! than Pandasmoninm. Paradise. Beave 

■ _ re I what more stran»e than the creation of 
the vorfd, the several metamorphoses of the fallen angels, and the 
surprising adventures their leader meets with in his search after par- 
la these sentences, we find the same pauses and in- 
flections of voice take place ss in the different series :; 
declarative sentences. The two Srst examples con- 
taining the compound sei ?s may be referred to Ft 
XXXI: and : le third, which forms i Series of Series. 
to Rule XXXII. 

B if the lestioa :h in reading and s leaking 
duces the greatest force and variety, is that which is 
;d without the interrogative w. 

4 



38 ART OF READING. 

THE QUESTION WITHOUT THE INTERROGATIVE 
WORDS. 

Rule XXXV. When an interrogative sentence is 
formed without the interrogative words, the last word must 
have the rising inflection : and if there be an emphati- 
cal word in the last member, followed by several words 
depending on it, which conclude the sentence, both the em- 
phatical word and the concluding words are to be pro- 
nounced with the rising inflection. Thus the words 
making one, and cause of the shipwreck, in the two fol- 
lowing examples, have all the rising inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

Would it not employ a beau prettily enough, if, instead of eternal- 
ly playing with his snuff-box, he spent some part of his lime in mak- 
ing one ? Spectator, No. 43. 

If the owner of a vessel had fitted it out with every thing necessa- 
ry, and provided to the utmost of his power against the dangers of 
the sea, and a storm should afterwards arise and break the masts, 
would any one in that case accuse him of being the cause of the 
shipwreck? Dtmosthtn\es on the Crown. Rollin._ 

In these examples we find, that however variously 
the voice may employ itself on the rest of the sentence, 
the concluding words in the last member must necessa- 
rily be suspended with the rising inflection. 

Rule XXXVI. When two interrogative sentences 
connected by the disjunctive or, succeed each other, the 
first ends.- with the rising, and the last with the falling 
inflection. 

EXAMPLES. 

Shall we in your person crown the author of the public calami- 
ties, or shall we destroy him ? JEschines on the Crown. Rollin. 

Is the g6odness, or wisdom of the divine Being, more manifested 
in this his proceeding? Sped. No. 519. 

The necessity of attending to this rule, when two 
things are distinguished and opposed to each other, 
will appear clearly from the following passage. 

See Falkland dies, the virtuous and the just, 
See god-like Turenne prostrate on the dust; 
See Sydney bleeds amid the martial strife ; 
Was this their virtue or contempt of life ? 

Essay on Man, Epist. iv. v. 99, 






INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 39 

If, in reading this passage, the voice were to adopt 
the same inflection both on virtue and on contempt of 
life, and to end the last branch of the question as well 
as the first with the rising inflection, the distinction, so 
strongly marked by the sense, would be utterly lost : 
whereas, if we end virtue with the rising, and life with 
the falling inflection, the distinction evidently appears. 
But in the following passage from Shakspeate we have 
an instance of the necessity of a contrary mode of pro- 
nunciation, arising from the similitude of objects con- 
nected by the conjunctive or : 

Is this the nature, 
Which passion could not shake ? whose solid virtue, 
The shot of accident, or dart of chance 
Could neither raze nor pierce ? Othello. 

In this passage, the shot of accident and the dart of 
chance, being only different words for the same thing, 
the word or conjoins them ; and to avoid. any implica- 
tion that they mean different things, the same inflection 
of voice ought to be on them both, that is, the rising 
inflection : but in the last member, where the opposi- 
tion is evident, both from the sense of the words, and 
the disjunctive nor, the falling inflection ought to be 
laid on raze, and the rising on pierce. 

For the same reason, in reading the following stanza 
of Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-yard, it should 
seem by much the most eligible method to suspend the 
voice with the rising inflection on the word death: 

Can story'd urn or animated bust, 
Back to its mansion call the fleeting breath ? 
Can honour's voice provoke the silent dust, 
Or flattery sooth the dull cold ear of death ? 

As the sense of the word or, that is, whether it 
means conjunction or disjunction, is not always very 
obvious, it may not be useless to propose the following 
rule : if we are in doubt whether or is conjunctive or 
disjunctive, let us make use of this paraphrase — if it is 
not so, is it so ? and if the sense will bear this para- 
phrase, the or is disjunctive, and the subsequent ques- 
tion ought to have the falling inflection : if it will not 



40 ART OF READING. 

bear it, the or is conjunctive, and the subsequent ques- 
tion ought to have the rising inflection. Thus if we 
paraphrase the stanza just quoted, we shall find the 
or conjunctive. If storied urn cannot call hack the 
fleeting breath, can animated bust call it back ? If hon- 
our's voice cannot provoke the silent dust, can flattery 
sooth the dull cold ear of death ? 

If this paraphrase does not seem suitable to the gen- 
eral import of the sentence, it is because the objects 
are not put in opposition or contradistinction to each 
other ; the or therefore is conjunctive, and consequent- 
ly, the latter question requires the rising inflection as 
well as the former : but where the or is disjunctive, we 
find this paraphrase very suitable to the general import 
of the sentence. Thus in the following sentence. 

But should these credulous infidels after all be in the right, and this 
pretended revelation be all a fable ; from believing it what harm 
could ensue ? would it render princes more tyrannical, or subjects 
more ungovernable, the rich more insolent or the poor more dis6r- 
derly ? Would it make worse pareuts, or children, husbands, or 
wives ; maters or servants, friends, or n6ighbours ? or would, it not 
make men more virtuous, and, consequently, more happy. in every 
situation ? Jenyns. 

If we try the paraphrase upon the former parts of 
this sentence, we shall find it as repugnant to the sense 
as in the former example ; but if we apply it to the last 
member, we shall find it perfectly accord with the 
meaning of the author. Thus we may say — If it will 
not make ivorse parents or children, husbands or wives, 
■masters or servants, friends or neighbours ; will it not 
make men more virtuous, and, consequently, more happy 
in every situation ? — from whence we may conclude, 
that in the former part of this passage, the or is con- 
junctive, and suspends the voice at the end of every 
"member, and that the last or is disjunctive, and requires 
the sentence to end with the falling inflection. 

Rule XXXVII. Interrogative sentences, without in- 
terrogative words, when consisting of a variety of mem- 
bers necessarily depending on each other for sense, admit 
of every tone, pause, and inflection of voice, common to 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 41 

other sentences, provided ike last member, on which the 
whole question depends, has that peculiar elevation and 
inflection of voice which distinguishes this species of in- 
terrogation, 

EXAMPLE. 

But can we believe a thinking being, that is in a perpetual pro- 
gress of improvements, and travelling on from perfection to perfec- 
tion, after having just looked abroad into the works of its Creator, 
and made a few discoveries of his infinite goodness, wisdom, and 
power, must perish at her first setting out, and in the very beginning 
of her inquiries ? Sped. No. 111. 

In reading this passage we shall find, that placing the 
falling inflection without dropping the voice on the words 
improvements and Creator, will not only prevent the 
monotony which is apt to arise from too long a suspen- 
sion of the voice, but enforce the sense by enumerating, 
as it were, the several particulars of which the question 
consists. 

EXAMPLE. 

Do you think that Themistocles, and the heroes who were killed 
in the battles of Marathon and Plataea; do you think the very tombs 
of your ancestors will not send forth groans, if you crown a man, 
who, by his own confession, has been for ever conspiring with bar- 
barians to ruin Greece ? JEschincs on the Crown. Rollin. 

This passage will be rendered much more forcible 
and harmonious, if, instead of suspending the voice 
throughout, we make use of the falling inflection with- 
out dropping the voice on the words Platcea and con- 

fession. 

Rule. XXXVIII. Interrogative sentences formed 
without the interrogative words, and consisting of mem- 
bers in a series, which form perfect sense as they proceed, 
must have every member terminate with the inflection of 
voice peculiar to this species of interrogation, 

EXAMPLES. 

And with regard to the unhappy Lacedaemonians, what calamities 
have not befallen them for taking only a s m a Si part of the spoils of 
the temple? they who formerly assumed a superiority over Greece, 
are they not now going to send ambassadors to Alexander's court, to 
bear the name of hostages in his train, to become a spectacle of 

4* 



42 ART OF READING. 

misery, to "bow the knee before the monarch, submit themselves and 
their country to his mercy, and receive such laws as a conqueror — a 
conqueror they attacked first, shall think fit to prescribe them ? 

JEschines on the Crown. Rollin. 

It need scarcely be observed, that in order to pre- 
vent the monotony to which this passage is very liable 
in reading, we ought to begin the first question as soft 
as possible, that the voice may pronounce them all with 
an increasing force to the last. 

But did you, (0 what title shall I give you !) did you betray the 
least shadow of displeasure against me, when I broke the chords of 
that harmony in your presence, and dispossessed the commonwealth 
of the advantages of that confederacy, which you magnify so much 
with the loudest strains of your theatrical voice? did you ascend the 
rostrum? did you denounce, or once explain those crimes, with 
which you are n6w pleased to charge me ? 

Demoslhenes on the Crown. Rollin. 

In this and the preceding sentence, we shall find the 
ear relieved, and the sense greatly enforced, by placing 
the falling inflection with emphasis in a high tone of 
voice on the words conqueror, first , and explain, accord- 
ing to Rule XXXVII. 

Would an infinitely wise Being make such glorious beings for so 
mean a purpose? can he delight in the production of such abortis'e 
intelligence, such short-lived reasonable beings? would he give us 
talents that are not to be exerted, capacities that are not to be grati- 
fied? Sped. -^o. 111. 

In the reading of every series here produced, it will 
be necessary to increase the force at the same time that 
we preserve the rising inflection on the last word or 
member of every one. 

This Rule and the last are well illustrated in the fol- 
lowing passage of Shakspeare's Henry V. where that 
monarch, after discovering the conspiracy against him, 
thus upbraids Lord Scroop, who was concerned in it. 

Oh how hast thou with jealousy infected 
The sweetness of affiance ! show men dutiful? 
Why so didst thou : or seem they grave and learned? 
Why so didst thou : come they of a noble family ? 
Why so didst thou : seem they religious ? 
Why so didst thou : or are they spare in diet ; 
Free from gross passion or of mirth or anger ; 
Constant in spirit, not swerving with the blood ; 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 43 

Garnished and decked in modest complement, 
Not working with the eye without the ear, 
And but in purged judgment trusting neither? 
Such and so finely boulted didst thou seem. 

In pronouncing this passage, it should seem most el- 
igible to use the rising inflection at the end of the sev- 
eral questions : but after the four first, the falling inflec- 
tion seems very properly adopted on the word diet, as 
this is the first branch of the last series of questions ; 
and as this series continues for several lines, provided 
the voice be but inflected upwards on the last member 
at neither, the rest of the parts may be pronounced as is 
most suitable to the sense and harmony of the whole, 
according to Rule XXXVII. 

Exception. The exception to this rule is, when each 
successive member in a series is contrasted or opposed 
to the preceding ; for in this case though the first is ele- 
vated as in other interrogations, not commencing with 
interrogative words, the rest of the questions assume 
the declarative tone, and fall gradually into a period. 

EXAMPLE. 

As for the particular occasion of these charity schools, there can- 
not any offer more worthy a generous mind. Would you do a hand- 
some thing without return? — do it for an infant that is not sensible 
of the obligation. Would you do it for the public good ? — do it for 
one who will be an honest artificer. Would you do it for the sake 
of heaven ? — give it for one who shall be instructed in the worship 
of Him for whose sake you gave it. Sped. No. 294. 

In this example there is evidently an opposition in 
the interrogations which is equivalent to the disjunctive 
or ; and if the ellipsis were supplied, which this oppo- 
sition suggests, the sentence would run thus : If you 
will not do a handsome thing without return, would you 
do it for the public good ? and if not for the public 
good, would you do it for the sake of heaven : so that 
this exception may be said to come under Rule 
XXXVI. 

The ground of this exception will be still more evi- 
dent, if the last series of questions and answers be com- 
pared with the following, where no opposition existing, 
the rising inflection is retained. 



44 ART OE READING. 

EXAMPLE. 

My departure is objected to me, which charge I cannot answer 
without commending myself For what must I say? That I fled 
from the consciousness of guilt ? But what is charged upon me as a 
crime, was so far from being a fault, that it is the most glorious ac- 
tion since the memory of man. Thai 1 feared being called to an 
account by the people? That was never talked of; and if it had 
been done, I should have come off' with double honour. That I 
wanted the support of good and honest men ? That is false. That 
1 was afraid of death? That is a calumny. 1 must, therefore, say 
what I would not, unless compelled to it, that I withdrew to preserve 
the city. Cicero. 

It may be remarked here that whenever questions 
and answers thus succeed each other, it is necessary, in 
order to distinguish them properly, to pronounce the 
latter in a lower tone than the former, and to make a 
long pause after each question 

One more observation is necessary before we termi- 
nate this subject; that as questions, which demand the 
rising inflection at the end, especially when tney are 
drawn out to any length, are apt to carry the voice into 
a higher key than is either suitable or pleasant, too 
much care cannot be taken to keep the voice down, 
when we are pronouncing the former parts of a long ques- 
tion, and the commencing questions of a long succes- 
sion of questions ; for as the characteristic pronuncia- 
tion of these questions is, to end with the rising inflec- 
tion, provided we do but terminate with this, the voice 
may creep on in a low and almost unvaried tone till the 
end; and then if the voice is not agreeable in a high 
key, which is the case with the generality of voices, 
the last word of the whole may be pronounced with the 
rising inflection, in nearly the same low key in which 
the voice commences. 

EXCLAMATION. 

The note of exclamation is usually employed, to in- 
dicate that some passion or emotion is contained in the 
words to which it is annexed. 

As almost all forms of expression admit, under cer- 
tain circumstances, of this addition, no general rule can 
be given for the inflection which should accompany it. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 45 

This must be determined in each instance by the sense, 
and by the application of the foregoing Rules. 

PARENTHESIS. 

The parenthesis is a member inserted in the body of 
a sentence, which member is neither necessary to the 
sense nor at all affects the construction. 

The real nature of the parenthesis once understood, 
we are at no loss for the true manner of delivering it. 
The tone of voice ought to be interrupted, as it were, 
by something unforeseen ; and, after a pause, the pa- 
renthesis should be pronounced in a lower tone of 
voice : at tire end of which, after another, pause, the 
higher tone of voice, which was interrupted, should be 
resumed, that the connexion between the former and 
latter part of the interrupted sentence may be restored. 
It may be observed, too, that in order to preserve the 
integrity of the principal members, the parenthesis 
ought not only to be pronounced in a lower tone, but a 
degree swifter than the rest of the period, as this still 
better preserves the broken sense, and distinguishes the 
explanation from the text. For that this is always the 
case in conversation, we can be under no doubt, when 
we consider, that whatever is supposed to make our 
auditors wait, gives an impulse to the tongue, in order 
to relieve them as soon as possible from the suspense 
of an occasional and unexpected interruption. 

Rule XXXIX. A parenthesis must be pronounced 
in a lower tone of voice, and conclude with the same 
pause and inflection which terminate the member that im- 
mediately precedes it. 

EXAMPLES. 

Notwithstanding all this care of Cicero, history informs us that 
Marcus proved a mere blockhead; and that nature (who it seems 
was even with the son for her prodigality to the father) rendered 
him incapable of improving by all the rules of eloquence, the pre- 
cepts of philosophy, his own endeavours, and the most refined con- 
versation in Athens. Sped. No. 307. 

Br. Clarke has observed, that Homer is more perspicuous than any 
other^ author ; but if he is so (which yet may be questioned) the 
perspicuity arises from his subject, and not from the language itself 
in which he writes. Ward's Grammar, p. 292. 



46 ART OF READING. 

The many letters which come to me from persons of the best 
Sense in b6fh sexes (fori may pronounce their characters from their 
way of writing) do not a little encourage me in the prosecution of 
this my undertaking. Sped. No. 124. 

It is this sense which furnishes the imagination with its ideas ; so 
that by the pleasures of the imagination or fancy (which I shall use 
promiscuously) I here mean such as arise from visible objects. 

Ibid. No. 411. 

In these examples, we find the parenthesis break in 
upon the sense ; but as the interruption is short, and 
is also distinguished from the body of the sentence by 
a different tone of voice, as well as by pauses, it does 
not in the least embarrass it. 

But when parentheses are long, which is sometimes 
the case in prose, and often in poetry, too much care 
cannot be taken to read them in so different a tone of 
voice from the rest of the sentence, as may keep them 
perfectly separate and distinct : this is to be done, not 
only by lowering the voice, but by pronouncing the pa- 
renthesis more rapidly, and by giving a degree of same- 
ness to the voice, which may distinguish the parenthe- 
sis from the parts which inclose it : and we must never 
forget, that when the parenthetic clause is pronounced, 
the voice, after a short pause, must recover the higher 
tone it fell from, in order to preserve the connexion in 
the thought. Without these precautions it will often be 
impossible to pronounce Milton so as to make him in- 
telligible. That sublime and excursive genius is like 
Homer, frequently, by the beauty of an intervening 
thought, carried so far out of the direct line of his sub- 
ject as to make it impossible for his reader to preserve 
the direct line, but by distinguishing those thoughts that 
vary from it by a different pronunciation. Let us ad- 
duce a few examples for practice. 

But what if he our c6nqueror (whom I now 
Of force believe almighty, since no less 
Than such could have o'er-powered such force as ours) 
Have left us this our spirit and strength entire 
Strongly to suffer and support our pains ? 

Farad. Lost, b. i. v. 143, 

His spear (to equal which the tallest pine 
Hewn on Norwegian hills to be the mast 
Of some great admiral were but a wand) 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 



4? 



He walked with, to support uneasy steps 

Over the burning marie. Ibid. v. 292. 

Know then, that after Lucifer from heaven 
(So call nirn brighter once amidst the host 
Of angels than that star the stars among) 
Fell with his flaming legions through the deep 
Into his place, and the great Son returned 
Victorious vviih his saints the omnipotent 
Eternal Father from his throne beheld 
Their multitude, and to his son thus spake. 

Ibid, book vii. v. 131. 

Round he surveys (and well might where he stood 
So high above the circling canopy 
Of night's extended shade) from eastern point 
Of Libra, to the fleecy star that bears 
Andromeda far off Atlantic seas 
Beyond the horizon. Ibid, book iii. v. 555. 

They anon 
With hundreds and with thousands trooping came 
Attended : all access was thronged ; the gates 
And porches. wide, but chief the spacious hall 
(Though like a covered field, where champions hold 
Wont ride in armed, and at the soldan's chair 
Defied the best of Panim chivalry 
To mortal combat, or career with lance) 
Thick swarmed both on the ground, and in the air 
Brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. 

Ibid. book. i. v. 752. 

Under this article, perhaps, may be arranged aside 
speeches in dramatic works, and all the intervening ex- 
planatory members in narrative writing: for both these 
species of members, like the parenthesis, require both a 
lower tone of voice and a more rapid pronunciation, 
than the rest of the composition. 

Exception. An exception to this rule sometimes oc~ 
curs ; when the parenthesis terminates with an emphati- 
cal word ; for in this case, the parenthesis adopts that 
inflection which the emphasis requires, whatever be the 
inflection of the preceding member. 

EXAMPLE. 

Had I, when speaking in the assembly, heen absolute and indepen- 
dent master of aflfairs, then your other speakers might call me to ac- 
count. But if ye were ever present, if ye w-ere all in general invit- 
ed to propose your sentiments, if ye were all agreed that the meas- 
ures then suggested were really the best; if you, iEschines, in par- 
ticular, were thus persuaded, (and it was no partial affection for me, 



48 ART OF READING. 

that prompted you to give me up the hopes, the applause, the hon- 
ours, which attended that course I then advised, but the superior 
force of truth, and your utter inability to point out any more eligible 
course ;) if this was ihe case, I say, is it not highly cruel and unjust 
to arraign those measures now, when you could not then propose 
any better ? LelaruVs Dtmost. on the Crown. 

Here the parenthesis finishing with two parts in op- 
position to each other, and the first of them being 
negative, and the last positive, the sense necessarily 
requires that advised should terminate with the rising, 
and eligible course with the falling inflection. 

Cicero, speaking of the duty of magistrates, says — 

Care must be taken that it be not (as was often done by our an- 
cestors through the smallness of the treasury and continuance of 
the wars) necessary to raise 'axes; arid in order to prevent this, 
provision should be made against it long beforehand : but if the ne- 
cessity of this service shonld happen to any state (which I had rath- 
er suppose of another than our own ; nor am I now discoursing of 
our own but of every stale in general) methods must be used to con* 
vince all persons (if they would be secure) that they ought to sub- 
mit to necessity. Cicero's Gffi-es, book ii. c 21. 

In this passage are no less than three parentheses ; 
the first and last, according to the general rule, end with 
the rising inflection ; bit the middle parenthetic mem- 
ber ending with two emphatic objects, the last of which 
requires the falling inflection, the general rule must be 
dispensed with. The reason of this exception will be 
particularly considered under the head of Emphasis. 

ACCENT. 
As Accent relates to the pronunciation of words taken 
singly, it can have little to do in an essay on the pro- 
nunciation of words in succession ; for as words justly 
pronounced are merely the materials for delivery, these 
must all be supposed to be in our own possession before 
we can possibly begin to arrange and display them to 
advantage. A person who pronounces every word 
singly with the greatest purity, may not be able to read 
well ; and another may convey the sense of an author 
with great force and beauty, who does not always either 
pronounce the words justly, or place the accent on the 
proper syllable. The only point, therefore, in which it 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 49 

will be necessary to take notice of accent in reading, is 
that where the emphasis requires a transposition of it : 
this happens when two words which have a sameness 
in part of their formation, are opposed to each other in 
sense. Thus, if I pronounce the words justice and in- 
justice as single words, I naturally place the accent on 
the penultimate syllable of both; but if 1 contrast them, 
and say, Neither justice nor injustice have any thing to 
do with the present question; in this sentence i natural- 
ly place the accent on the first syllable of injustice, in 
order the more forcibly and clearly to distinguish it 
from justice. This transposition of the accent, which 
is so evidently dictated by the sense, extends itself to 
all words which have a sameness of termination, though 
they may not be directly opposite in sense; thus, if I 
wanted race particularly to show that I meant one re- 
quisite of dramatic story rather than another, I should 
say, In this species of composition, plausibility is much 
more essential than probability ; and in the pronuncia- 
tion of these words, I should infallibly transpose the 
accent of both, from the third to the first syllables; in 
order to contrast those parts of the words which are 
distinguished from each other by the import of the sen- 
tence. Hence the following Rule. 

Rule XL. When two words with similar termin- 
ations are placed in opposition to each other, the ac- 
cent on one or both is often varied, to express the contrast 
more strongly, 

EXAMPLE. 

In this case I may nse the saying of an eminent wit, who upon 
some great men's pressing him to forgive his daughter who had mar- 
ried against his consent, told them he could refuse nothing to their 
instances, but that he would have them remember there was a differ- 
ence between giving and for giving. 

In this example, we find the whole sense of the pas- 
sage depends on placing the accent on the first syllable 
of J for giving, in order to contrast it more strongly with 
giving, to which it is opposed ; as, without this transpo- 
sition of accent, the opposition, on which the sentiment 
turns, would be lost. 
5 



50 ART OF READING. 

Another instance will more fully illustrate the neces- 
sity of attending to this emphatical accent. 

Th° prince for the public good has a sovereign property in every 
private person's estate ; and, consequently^ his riches must increase 
or decrease, in proportion to the number and riches of his subjects. 

Spectator, No. 200. 

The words increase and decrease have, in this exam- 
ple, the accent on the first syllable of each, as it is 
there the contrast in the sense lies. 

EMPHASIS. 

Emphasis is that stress which is placed on certain 
words in a sentence, to distinguish them from the rest. 
Taken in this most general sense, Emphasis may be 
divided into two kinds; that which arises from the pe- 
culiar sense of one or two words in a sentence ; and 
that which arises from the greater importance of nouns, 
verbs, and other significant words, than of connectives 
and particles. The last Emphasis takes place on al- 
most every word in a sentence, except the articles^ 
prepositions and smaller parts of speech ; and by pro- 
nouncing these feebly, we give a force to the other 
words, which may be, comparatively, called Emphasis. 
Thus if we repeat the following sentence : 

Exercise and temperance strengthen the constitution. 

we find the particles and and the pronounced much 
more feebly than the other words; hence these words 
become relatively emphatical ; but if a word which 
has Emphasis of Sense be thrown into the sentence, 
we shall soon perceive the difference between these 
words and the Emphatic one : thus if we were to say, 

Exercise and temperance strengthen even an indifferent consti- 
tution. 

Here we shall find the word indifferent, pronounced 
as much more forcibly than the words exercise, temper- 
ance, and strengthen, as these words are more forcibly 
pronounced than the particles and and the, and even 
than the word constitution: for as this word comes im- 
mediately after the emphatic word indifferent, it sinks 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 



51 



into the same degree of obscurity with the particles, 
and cannot be raised from this obscurity without dimin- 
ishing the force of the emphatic word itself. 

This brings us to a threefold distinction of words in 
regard to the force with which they are pronounced ; 
namely, the conjunctions, particles, and words already 
understood, which are distinctly but feebly pronounced ; 
the substantives, verbs and other significant words, 
which are firmly and fully pronounced ; and the em- 
phatical word, which is forcibly pronounced : it is the 
last of these which is properly called Emphasis of 
Sense ; and it is to the nature and application of this 
Emphasis, that, our attention will now be directed. 

The principal circumstance that distinguishes em- 
phatical words from others, seems to be a meaning which 
points out, or distinguishes something as distinct or oppo- 
site to some other thing. When this opposition is ex- 
pressed in words, it forms an antithesis, the opposite 
parts of which are always emphalical. Thus in the 
following couplet from Pope : 

'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill 
Appear in writing or in judging ill. 

The words writing and judging are opposed to each 
other, and are therefore the emphatical words : where 
we may likewise observe, that the disjunctive or. by 
which the antithesis is connected, means one of the 
things exclusively of the other. 

The same may be observed in another couplet from 
the same author; where one branch of the antithesis is 
not expressed but understood : 

Get wealth and place, if possible with grace, 
If not by any means get wealth and place. 

Here it appears evidently, that the words any means, 
which are the most emphatical, are directly opposed to 
the means understood by the word grace, and the last 
line is perfectly equivalent to this : If not by these 
means, by any other means, get wealth and 'place. 

This more than ordinary meaning, or a meaning 
opposed to some other meaning, seems to be the pria- 



52 ART OF READING. 

cipal source of emphasis ; for if, as in the last instance, 
we find the words will bear this opposition to their 
common signification, we may be sure they are em- 
phaticai ; this will be still more evident from another 
example : 

By the faculty of a lively and picturesque imagination, a man in a 
dungeon is capable of entertaining himself with scenes and land- 
scapes, more beautiful than any that can be found in the whole com- 
pass of nature. Spectator, No. 411. 

If we read this passage without that emphasis which 
the word dungeon requires, we enervate the meaning, 
and scarcely give the sense of the author ; for the im- 
port plainly is that a lively imagination, not merely ah" 
sent from beautiful scenes, but even in a dungeon, can 
form scenes more beautiful than any in nature. 

But if emphasis does not improve, it always vitiates 
the sense ; and, therefore, should be always avoided 
where the use of it is not evident: this will appear by 
placing an emphasis on a word in a sentence which 
does not require it : 

I have several letters by me from people of good sense, who la- 
ment the depravity or poverty of taste the town is fallen into with 
relation to plays and public spectacles. Spectator, No. 208. 

Now, if we lay a considerable degree of emphasis 
upon the words good sense, it will strongly suggest that 
the people here mentioned are not common or ordina- 
ry people, which, though not opposite to the meaning 
of the writer, does not seem necessary either to the 
completion or embellishment of it ; for as particularly 
marking these people out as persons of good sense, 
seems to obviate an objection that they might possibly 
be fools, and as it would not be very wise to suppose 
this objection, it would show as little wisdom to endea- 
vour to preclude it by a more than ordinary stress ; 
the plain words of the author, therefote, without any 
emphasis on them, sufficiently show his meaning. 

From these observations, the following definition of 
emphasis seems naturally to arise : emphasis, when ap- 
plied to particular words, is that stress we lay on words, 
which arc in contradistinction to other words either e%~ 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 53 

pressed or understood. And hence will follow this gen- 
eral rule : Wherever there is contradistinction in the 
sense of the words, there ought to be emphasis in the pro- 
nunciation of them ; the converse of this being equally 
'true, Wherever we place emphasis, we suggest the idea 
of contradistinction. 

Having thus ascertained the nature of Emphasis, 
we are next to consider the inflections it requires. 
IMuch of this subject indeed has been anticipated in 
speaking of Antithesis ; and in the exceptions to the 
foregoing rules the peculiarities of emphatic sentences 
are mostly explained. Some farther remarks however 
on these topics have been reserved for this place. 

EMPHATIC INFLECTION. 
It was noticed under Rule XXIV. that where the 
last member of a sentence was negative, in opposition 
to a positive expression in the first, the usual order of 
inflections w,as inverted, the last member taking the ris- 
ing, and the first the falling inflection. An instance of 
this occurs in the following sentence : 

When a Persian soldier was reviling Alexander the Great, his offi- 
cer reprimanded him by saying : Sir, you were paid to light Alexan-> 
der, and not to rail at him. 

Here we find fight and rail are the two emphatic 
words which correspond to each other, and that the 
positive member which affirms something, adopts the 
falling inflection on fight, and the negative member 
which excludes something, has the rising inflection on 
rail. Something like this will be found to take place 
where only one part of an Antithesis is expressed : 

By the faculty of a lively and picturesque imagination, a man in a 
dungeon is capable of entertaining himself with scenes and land- 
scapes, more beautiful than any that can be found in the whole com- 
pass of nature. 

Here we find the emphatical word dungeon, requiring 
the falling inflection ; and if we draw out the sentence 
tit length, supplying the words suggested by the sense, 
we shall find it consist of the same positive and nega- 
tive parts as the former, and that the positive part as* 
5* 



54 ART OF READING. 

sumes the falling, and the negative the rising inflection 
in both. 

EXAMPLES. 

When a Persian soldier was reviling Alexander the Great, his offi- 
cer reprimanded him by saying; Sir, you were paid to fight Alex- 
ander, and not (o rail at him. 

By the faculty of a lively and picturesque imagination, a man in 
a dungeon and not merely dbsent from beautiful scenes, is capable of 
entertaining himself with scenes and landscapes, more beautiful than 
any that can be found in the whole compass of nature. 

Now, whatever be the reason why the positive mem- 
ber of a sentence should adopt the emphasis with the 
falling inflection, and the negative member the rising ; 
it is certain, that this appropriation of emphatic inflec- 
tion, to a positive or negative signification, runs through 
the whole system of pronunciation. Agreeably to this 
arrangement, we constantly find good readers finish 
negative sentences with the rising inflection, where or- 
dinary readers are sure to use the falling inflection, and 
to drop the voice ; and, perhaps, this different pronun- 
ciation forms one of the greatest differences between 
good and bad readers: Thus, in the following sentence 
from the Oration of Demosthenes on the Crown, trans- 
lated by Dr. Leland : 

Observe then, iEschines ; our ancestors acted thus in both these 
instances ; not that they acted for their benefactors, not that they 
saw no danger in these expeditions. Such considerations never 
could induce them to abandon those who fled to their protection. 
N6, from the nobler motives of glory and renown, they devoted 
their services to the distressed. 

There are few good readers who will not pronounce 
the two first sentences of this passage so as to termin- 
ate them with the rising inflection ; and this manner of 
reading them we find agreeable to the paraphrase sug- 
gested by the falling inflection adopted in the several 
clauses of the last sentence ; by which all the sen- 
tences of this passage form parts of one thought, and 
are reduced to the definition of emphasis already giv- 
en ; as, They acted from the nobler motives of glory, 
and renown, and not inferior motives.. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 55 

Wherever, therefore, a negative sentence, or member 
of a sentence, is in opposition to a positive sentence, or 
member of a sentence, we find it usually adopt the 
rising inflection : And even where there is no corres- 
pondent positive member or sentence expressed, if the 
negative member or Sentence would admit of a positive, 
and the sense of this positive is agreeable to the gen- 
eral tenor of the composition ; in this case, likewise, 
we find the negative member or sentence adopt the ris- 
ing inflection. Thus, in the same oration, Demosthe- 
nes, speaking of the public works he had erected, 
says, 

As to those public works, so much the object of your ridicule, 
they undoubtedly demand a due share of honour and applause ; but 
1 rate them far beneath the great merit of my administration. It is 
not with stones nor bricks that I' have fortified the city. It is not 
from works like these that I' derive my reputation. Would you 
know my' methods of fortifying ? Examine, and you will find them 
in the arms, the towns, the territories, the harbours I have secured ; 
the navies, the troops, the armies I have raised. 

The two middle negative sentences of this passage 
have not any correspondent positive sentences preced- 
ing or following them ; but the rising inflection on these 
sentences suggests a meaning so compatible with the 
mind of the speaker, that we cannot doubt of its being the 
true one ; for it is equivalent to saying, It is not ivitk 
works like these that 1' have fortified the city, hut with 
something much better. This will receive a farther il- 
lustration from another passage of the same orator. 

For if you now pronounce, that, as my public conduct hath not 
been right, Ctesiphon must stand condemned, it must be thought 
that yourselves have acted wrong, not that you owe your present 
state to the caprice of fortune. But it cannot be. No, my country- 
men ! It cannot be you have acted wrong, in encountering danger 
bravely, for the liberty and safety of all Greece. No ! by those gen- 
erous souls of ancient times, who were exposed at Marathon ! By 
those who stood arrayed at Plataea ! By those who encountered the 
Persian fleet at Salamis ! who fought at Artemisium i By all those 
illustrious sons of Athens, whose remains lie deposited in the public 
monuments ! All of whom received the same honourable interment 
from their country: Not those only who prevailed, not those only 
who where victorious. And with reason. What was the part ot 
gallant men they all performed; their success was such as the su- 
preme director of the world dispensed to each. 



56 ART 0E READING. 

The two last members of the first sentence we find 
naturally adopt their specific inflections ; that is, the po- 
sitive member, the falling on ivrong and the negative 
the rising on fortune. The succeeding sentence has a 
negation in it that suits the rising inflection much bet- 
ter than the falling, and therefore Greece has very pro- 
perly the rising inflection ; and the latter members, not 
those only who prevailed, not those only who were victori- 
ous, will not admit of the falling inflection without an 
evident prejudice to the sense. 

From these observations, we may derive the follow- 
ing rule. 

Rule XLT. Whenever a sentence is composed of a 
positive and negative part, if this positive and negative 
imports thai something is affirmed in one part and some- 
thing denied in the other, the positive must have the fall- 
ing, and the negative the rising inflection. 

EXAMPLES FOR PRACTICE. 

Virtue, to become either vigorous or useful, must be habitually 
active ; not breaking forth occasionally with a transient lustre, like 
the biaze of a comet ; but regular in its returns, like the light of day: 
not like the aromatic gale, which sometimes feasts the sense ; but 
like the ordinary breeze, which purifies the air, and renders it health- 
ful. 

True ease in writing comes from art, not chance : 
As those move easiest, who have learned to dance* 
One shall rise 
Of proud ambitious heart, who, not content 
With fair equality, fraternal state, 
Will arrogate dominion undeserved 
Over his brethren, and quite dispossess 
Concord and law of Nature from the earth ; 
Hunting (and men, not beasts shall be his game) 
With war and hostile snare, such as refuse 
Subjection to his empire tyrannous. Par. Lost, B. xii. 

GENERAL EMPHASIS. 
Hitherto emphasis has been considered as appropri* 
ated to a particular word in a sentence, the peculiar 
sense of which demanded an increase of force, and an 
inflection correspondent to that sense ; but there is be- 
side this, an emphatic force, which, when the composi- 
tion is very animated, and approaches to a close, wfe 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 



57 



often lay upon several words in succession. This suc- 
cessive emphatic force does, not, like the former, suggest 
any particular meaning excluded by it, and therefore 
may not improperly be called a general emphasis. This 
emphasis is not so much regulated by the sense of the 
author as by the taste and feelings of the reader, and 
therefore does not admit of any certain rule ; but as it 
is very strong and energetic when it is happily applied, 
it may not be useless to illustrate its nature by a few 
examples. 

When Lucius in Cato seems to have exhausted ev- 
ery topic in favour of giving up a hopeless war and 
submitting to Caesar, he concludes with this emphatic 
period : 

What men could do, 
Is done already : Heaven and earth will witness, 
Tf Rdme miist fall, that we are innocent. 

The common manner of pronouncing this last line is 
to lay an emphasis with the rising inflection on the word 
must, which is certainly a very just one, and may be 
called the particular emphasis; but if we place an em- 
phasis on each of the four words, if Rome must fall ; 
that is, the emphasis with the rising inflection on if 
that with the falling on Rome, and must, and that with 
the rising on fall ; if these emphases are pronounced 
with a distinct pause after each, it is inconceivable what 
force will be given to these few words. 

In the same manner, when Demosthenes is describ- 
ing the former helpless state of Athens, he says, 

There was a time, then, my fellow-citizens, when the Lacedemo- 
nians were sovereign masters bo'h by sea and land; when their 
troops and forts surrounded the entire circuit of At'ica; when they 
possessed Eubcea, Tanagra, the whole Boeotian district, Megara, iEgi- 
na, Cieone, and the other islands; while this state had not one ship, 
nbt one wall. 

The general mode of pronouncing the last member 
of this sentence is, to lay an emphasis on the last word, 
wall. This is unquestionably proper ; but if we lay an 
emphasis on the three last words, that is, the falling on 
not, the rising on one, and the falling on wall, and pause 
very distinctly between each, we shall be at no loss to 
decide on the superiority of this general emphasis, 



58 



ART OF HEADING. 



From this view of emphasis, we may perceive the pro* 
priety of laying a stress upon some of the most insigni- 
ficant words when ftie language is impassioned, in order 
to create a general force, which sufficiently justifies the 
seeming impropriety. Thus, in the following sen- 
tence — The very man whom he had loaded with favours 
was the first to accuse him — a stress upon the word man 
will give considerable force to the sentence — the very 
man, &c. If to the stress on this word we add one on 
the word very, the force will be considerably increased — 
the very man, &c. But if to these words we unite a 
stress on the word the, the emphasis will then attain its 
utmost pitch and be emphatic, as it may be called, in 
the superlative degree — the very man, he. And this 
kind of general emphasis, it may be observed, has the 
identity of a person or thing for its object, the antithe- 
sis to which is appearance, similitude, or the least pos- 
sible diversity. 

RULES FOR READING VERSE. 

Whatever difficulties we may find in reading prose, 
they are greatly increased when the composition is in 
verse ; and more particularly if the verse be rhyme. 
The regularity of the feet, and the sameness of sound in 
rhyming verse, strongly solicits the voice to a sameness 
of tone; and tone, unless directed by a judicious ear, is 
apt to degenerate into a song, and a song, of all others, the 
most disgusting to a person of just taste. If, therefore, 
there are few who read prose with propriety, there are 
still fewer who succeed in verse ; they either want that 
equable and harmonious flow of sound which distin- 
guishes it from loose unmeasured composition, or they 
have not a sufficient delicacy of ear to keep the harmo- 
nious smoothness of verse from sliding into a whining 
chant ; nay, so agreeable is this chant to many readers, 
that a simple and natural delivery of verse seems tame 
and insipid, and much too familiar for the dignity of 
the language. So pernicious are bad habits in every 
exercise of the faculties, that they not only lead us to 
false objects of beauty and propriety, but at last deprive 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 59 

us of the very power of perceiving: the mistake. For 
those, therefore, whose ears are not just, and who are 
totally deficient in a true taste for the music of pi eiry, 
the best method of avoiding this impropriety is to ;ead 
verse exactly as if it were prose ; foi though tills may 
be said to be an error, it is certainly an error on the 
safer side. 

To say, however, as some do, that the pronunciation 
of verse is entirely destitute of song, and that it is no 
more than a just pronunciation of prose, is as distant 
from truth, as the whining chant we have been speaking 
of, is from true poetic harmony. Poetry without song 
is a body without a soul. The tune of this song is, in- 
deed, difficult to hit ; but when once it is hit, it is sure 
to give the most exquisite pleasure. It excites in the 
hearer the most eager desire of imitation ; and if this 
desire be not accompanied by a just taste or good in- 
struction, it generally substitutes the sing song, as it is 
called, for simple, elegant poetic harmony. 

It has been already remarked, that the different in- 
flections of voice upon particular words are less per- 
ceptible in verse than in prose ; and that in the former, 
the voice sometimes entirely sinks the inflection; and 
slides into a monotone This approach to a mono- 
tone, especially in plaintive poetry, makes it often diffi- 
cult, and sometimes impossible to distinguish whether 
the slides that accompany the pauses and emphasis ol 
verse are rising or falling; and at those pauses where 
we can easily distinguish the inflections, we sometimes 
find them different from such as we should adopt in 
reading the passage if it were prose ; that is, we often 
find the rising inflection at a pause in verse, where, if it 
were prose, we should use the falling. It may be ob- 
served, indeed, that it is in the frequent use of the ris- 
ing inflection, where prose would adopt the falling, that 
the song of poetry consists: familiar, strong, argumenta- 
tive subjects naturally enforce the language with the 
falling inflection, as this is naturally expressive of aciiv- 
ity, force and precision; but grand, beautiful, and plainV 
tive subjects slide naturally into the rising inflection, as 



60 ART OF READING. 

this is expressive of awe, admiration, and melancholy; 
where the mind may be said to be passive : and it is 
this general tendency of the plaintive tone to assume 
the rising inflection, whi^h inclines injudicious readers 
to adopt it at those pauses where the falling inflection is 
absolutely necessary ; in consequence of which the 
pronunciation degenerates into the whine, so much and 
so justly disliked ; for it is very remarkable, that if, 
where the sense concludes, we are careful to preserve 
the falling inflection, and let the voice drop into the 
natural talking tone, the voice may be suspended in the 
rising inflection on any other part of the verse, with 
very little danger of falling into the chant of bad read- 
ers. Thus in the following passage which opens the 
tragedy of Cato : 

The dawn is overcast, the morning lowers, 
And heavily in cloud* brings on the day ; 
The great, the important day, 
Big with the fate of Cato and of Rome. 

The grandeur of the objects and swell of language 
in this description, naturally throw the voice into those 
tones that express the awe and dignity which those ob- 
jects excite in the mind ; and these tones being inclined 
to the plaintive, naturally slide into the rising inflection 
on the pauses ; and this is apt to draw the voice into a 
chant : but let the word Rome have the falling inflec- 
tion and sink into a lower key, in the natural talking 
tone, and the imperfections in pronouncing the former 
part will be in a great measure covered ; on the contra- 
ry, though the former part he pronounced ever so ac- 
curately, if the word Rome has the rising inflection, the 
whole will appear to be unfinished, and have a disa- 
greeable whining tone. 

From these observations, this general rule will na- 
turally arise ; that though, in verse, we frequently sus- 
pend the voice, by the rising inflection, where, if the 
composition were prose, we should adopt the falimg ; 
yet, wherever, in prose, the member or sentence would 
necessarily require the rising inflection ; this inflection 
must necessarily be adopted in verse. An instance of 



INFLECTIONS OP THE VOICE. 61 

all these cases may be found in the following example 
from Pope : 

He who through vast immensity can pierce, 
See worlds on worlds compose one universe ; 
Observe how system into system runs, 
What other planets circle other suns ; 
What varied being peoples every star, 
May tell why heaven has made us as we are. 
But of this frame, the bearings and the ties, 
The strong connexions, nice dependencies, 
Gradations just, has thy pervading soul 
Looked through ? or can a part contain the whole ? 

Is the great chain that draws all to agree, 
And drawn supports, upheld by God, or thee ? 

If this passage were prose, every line but the fifth 
might end with the falling inflection, like a commencing 
series of five members ; but the fifth being that where 
the two principal constructive parts unite, and the sense 
begins to form, here, both in prose and verse, must be 
the principal pause, and the rising inflection. 

Having premised these observations, we proceed to 
give some particular rules for the proper pronunciation 
of verse. 

Rule XLII. As the exact tone of the passions, or 
emotions, which verse excites, is not at first easy to hit, it 
will be proper always to begin a poem in a simple and 
almost prosaic style, and so proceed till we are warmed 
with the subject, and feel the emotion we wish to express. 

Thus in Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-yard, if 
we cannot immediately strike into the solemn style with 
which that poem begins, it will be better to commence 
with an easier and less marked tone, and somewhat like 
the style of reading prose, till the subject becomes a 
little familiar. There are few poems which will not 
allow of this prosaic commencement; and where they 
do not, it is a much less fault in reading to begin with 
too little emphasis, than either to strike into a wrong one. 
or to execute the right emphasis awkwardly. Gray's 
Elegy on the Extirpation of the Bards, is almost the 
6 



62 ART OF READING. 

only one that does not admit of commencing mod- 
erately. 

Ruin seize thee, ruthless king ! 
Confusion on thy banners wait ! fyc. 

Rule XLHI. In verse every syllable is to have the 
same accent, and every word the same emphasis as in prose. 

Though the rhythmical arrangement of the accent 
and emphasis is the very definition of poetry, yet, if 
this arrangement tends to give an emphasis to words 
which would have none in prose, or an accent to such 
syllables as have properly no accent, the rhythmus, or 
music of the verse, must be entirely neglected. Thus 
the article the ought never to have a stress, though 
placed in that part of the verse where the ear expects 
an accent. 

Of all the causes which conspire to blind 
Man's erring judgment, and misguide the mind, 
What the weak head with strongest bias rules, 
Is pride ; the never failing vice of fools. Pope. 

An injudicious reader of verse would be very apt to lay 
stress upon the article the in the third line, but a good 
reader would infallibly neglect the stress on this, and 
transfer it to the words what and weak. Thus also in 
the following example, no stress must be laid on the 
word of, because we should not give it any in prosaic 
pronunciation : 

Ask of thy mother earth why oaks are made 
Taller and stronger than the weeds they shade. Ibid. 

For the same reason the word as, either in the first 
or second line of the following couplet, ought to have no 
stress : 

Eye nature's walks, shoot folly as it flies, 
And catch the manners living as they rise. Ibid. 

The last syllable of the word excellent, in the following 
couplet, being the place of the stress, is very apt to 
draw the organs to a wrong pronunciation of the word, 
in compliance with the rhythmus of the verse : 

Their praise is still the style is excellent : 
The sense they humbly take upon content. Ibid. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 63 

But a stress upon the last syllable of this word must be 
avoided upon pain of the greatest possible reproach to 
a good reader ; which is that of altering the accent of 
a word, to indulge the ear in a childish jingle of sylla- 
bles. The same may be observed of the w r ord eloquence 
and the particle the in the following couplet : 

False eloquence like the prismatic glass 
Its gaudy colours spreads on every place. Ibid. 

If in compliance with the rhythmus, or tune of the 
verse, we were to lay a stress on the last syllable of 
eloquence, and on the particle the in the first of these 
verses, scarcely any thing can be conceived more dis- 
gusting to a good judge of reading. 

A bad fault opposite to this is very common among 
bad readers ; and that is, hurrying over the two last syl- 
lables of such words so as to reduce the pronunciation 
to prose : for it must be carefully noted, that the beauty 
of reading verse depends exceedingly upon the tone in 
which we pronounce it. The unaccented syllables, 
though less forcible, ought to have the same time as 
those that are accented ; a regular march, an agreeable 
movement, ought to reign through the whole. 

This rule, however, with respect to the place of the 
accent, admits of some few exceptions. Milton has 
sometimes placed words so unfavourably for pronuncia- 
tion in the common way, that the ear would be more 
disgusted with the harshness of the verse, if the right 
accent were preserved, than with a wrong accent which 
preserves the harmony of the verse : for it is not mere- 
ly reducing a line to prose if the sense requires it, which 
is a capital fault in reading poetry, but reducing it to 
very harsh and disagreeable prose. Thus the Angel, 
in Milton, reasoning with Adam about the planets, 
says, 

For such vast room in nature unpossessed 
By living souls, desert and desolate, 
Only to shine yet scarce to contribute 
Each orb a glimpse of light, conveyed so far 
Down to this habitable, which returns 
Light back to them, is obvious to dispute. 

Parad. Lost, B. viii. v. 153. 



64 



ART OP READING. 



The word contribute has properly the accent on the 
second syllable ; but the verse would be so harsh with 
this accent, that a good reader will, for the sake of 
sound, lay the principal accent on the first syllable, and 
a subordinate stress on the third. The same may be 
observed of the word attribute, in the following passage 
from the same author : 

The swiftness of those circles attribute, 
Though numberless, to his omnipotence, 
That to corporeal substances could add 
Speed almost spiritual. Ibid. B. viii. v. 197. 

But when the poet has with great judgment contriv- 
ed that his numbers shall be harsh and grating, in order 
to correspond to the ideas they suggest, the common 
accentuation must be preserved. 

On a sudden open fly 
With impetuous recoil and jarring sound 
The infernal doors, and on their hinges grate 
Harsh thunder. Ibid. B. ii. v. 879. 

Here the harshness arising from the accent on the . 
second syllable of the word impetuous, finely expresses 
the recoil and jarring sound of the gates of hell. 

Rule XLIV. The vowel e, which is often cut off by 
an apostrophe in the word the, and in syllables before r, 
as dang'rous, gen'rous, fyc. ought to be preserved in the 
pronunciation, because the syllable it forms is so short, 
as to admit of being sounded with the preceding sylla- 
ble, so as not to increase the number of syllables to the 
ear, or at all hurt the harmony. 

EXAMPLES. 

'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill 

Appear in writing or in judging ill ; 

But of the two less dang'rous is th' offence, 

To tire our patience, than mislead our sense. Pope. 

Him the Almighty power 
Hurled headlong flaming from th' etherial sky 
With hideous ruin and combustion, down 
To bottomless perdition, there to dwell 
In adamantine chains, and penal fire, 
Who durst defy th' Omnipotent to arms. Milton. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICE. 65 

In the example from Milton, we have an instance that 
the particle the may either form a distinct syllable in 
poetry or not ; in the first line it must necessarily form 
a distinct syllable ; in the second and last it may be so 
blended with the succeeding word as to be pronounced 
without elision, and yet form no distinct syllable. 

Rule XLV. Almost every verse admits of a pause 
in or near the middle of the line, which is called the ccz- 
sura ; this must be carefully observed in reading verse, 
or much of the distinctness, and almost all the harmony 
will be lost. 

EXAMPLE. 

IVature to all things fix'd the limits fit, 
And wisely curbed proud man's pretending wit; 
As on the land, while here the ocean gains, 
In other parts it leaves wide sandy plains ; 
Thus is the soul, while memory prevails, 
The solid power of understanding fails; 
Where beams of warm imagination play 
The memory's soft figures melt away. Pope. 

These lines have seldom any points inserted in the 
middle, even by the most scrupulous punctuists; and 
yet nothing can be more palpable to the ear, than that 
a pause in the first at things, in the second at curbed, in 
the third at land, in the fourth at parts, and in the fifth 
at soul, is absolutely necessary to the harmony of these 
lines ; and that the sixth, by admitting no pause but at 
understanding, and the seventh, none but at imagination, 
border very nearly upon prose. It is proper to ob- 
serve, in this place, that though the most harmonious 
place for the capital pause is after the fourth syllable, it 
may, for the salce of expressing the sense strongly and 
suitably, and sometimes even for the sake of variety, be 
placed at several other intervals. 

EXAMPLE. 

'Tis hard to say — if greater want of skill. 
So when an. angel — by divine command, 
With rising tempest — shakes a guilty land. 
Then from his closing eyes — thy form shall part, 
And the last pang — shall tear thee from his heart 



66 ART OF READING. 

Inspired repulsed battalions — to engage,' 
And taught the doubtful battle — where to rage. 
Know, then, thyself— presume not God to scan ; 
The proper study of mankind — is man. 

Rule XLVI. At the end of every line in poetry 
must be a pause proportioned to the intimate or remote 
connexion between it and the following line. 

There is a natural tendency in reading poetry to 
pause at the termination of each line ; and provided 
such pause is consistent with the sense of the passage, 
this propensity may safely be indulged. Hence a pause 
is often proper in poetry, where it would be omitted in 
prose as unnecessary : 

EXAMPLE. 

'Tis with our judgments as our watches; none 
Go just alike, yet each believes his own. 

Here a slight pause is admissible at none, since such a 
pause does not interfere with the sense. Where, how- 
ever, the sense is such as would render two words in- 
separable in prose, they are equally so in poetry. 

EXAMPLE. 

Which, without passing through the judgment, gains 
The heart, and all its end at once attains. 

Here the verb gains is so intimately connected with its 
object, that a pause between them would be injurious : 
such a pause is therefore inadmissible. See remark 
under Rule II. 

Rule XI All. In order to form a cadence in a pe- 
riod in rhyming verse, we must adopt the falling inflec- 
tion with considerable force, in the, ccesura of the last 
line but one. 

EXAMPLE. 

One science only will one genius fit, 
So vast is art, so narrow human wit; 
Not only bounded to peculiar arts, 
But oft in those confined to single parts ; 
Like kings we lose the conquests gained before, 
By vain ambition still to make them more ; 
Eaoh might his several province || well command, 
Would all but stoop to what they understand. 



INFLECTIONS OF THE VOICEi 67 

In repeating these lines, we shall find it necessary to 
form the cadence, by giving the falling inflection with a 
little more force than common to the word province. 
The same may be observed of the word prospect, in 
the last line but one of the following passage : 

So pleased at first the towering Alps we try, 
Mount o'er the vales, and seem to tread the sky ; 
Th' eternal snows appear already past, 
And the first clouds and mountains seem the last; 
But those attained, we tremble to survey 
The growing labours of the lengthened way ; 
The increasing prospect || tires our wandering eyes, 
Hills peep o'er hills, and Alps on Alps arise. 

Rule XLVI1I. A simile in poetry ought always to 
be read in a lower tone of voice than that part of the 
passage which precedes it. 

EXAMPLE. 

'Twas then great Marlborough's mighty soul was proved, 
That in the shock of charging hosts unmoved, 
Amidst confusion, horror, and despair, 
Examined all the dreadful scenes of war. 
In peaceful thought the field of death surveyed, 
To fainting squadrons sent the timely aid ; 
Inspired repulsed battalions to engage, 
And taught the douhtful battle where to rage. 
So when an angel, by divine command 
With rising tempests shakes a guilty land, 
(Such as of late o'er pale Britannia past,) 
Calm and serene he drives the furious blast; 
And, pleased th' Almighty's orders to perform, 
Rides on the whirlwind, and directs the storm. Addison. 

Rule XLIX, Where there is no pause in the sense 
at the end of the verse, the last word must have exactly 
the same inflection it would have in prose. 

At his command th' uprooted hills retired 
Each to his place ; they heard his voice and went 
Obsequious ; heaven his wonted face renewed, 
And with fresh flowerets hill and valley smiled. 

In this example, the words retired and went require 
the rising inflection ; since this is the inflection they 
would have were the sentence pronounced prosaically. 

_ Rule L. Sublime, grand, and magnificent descrip- 
tion in poetry, frequently requires a lower tone of voice. 



68 ART OF READING. 

and a sameness nearly approaching to a monotone, to 
give it variety. 

This rule will surprise many who have always been 
taught to look upon a monotone or sameness of voice 
as a deformity in reading. A deformity it certainly is, 
when it arises either from a want of power to alter the 
voice, or a want of judgment to introduce it properly; 
but when it is introduced with propriety, it is one of 
the greatest embellishments of poetic pronunciation. 
Nay, a monotone connected with preceding and suc- 
ceeding inflections, is a real variety, and is exactly sim- 
ilar to a succession of the same identical notes in mu- 
sic ; which, considered apart, is perfectly monotonous, 
but taken with what goes before and follows, is among 
the finest beauties of composition. 

EXAMPLE. 

Hence ! loathed Melancholy, 

Of Cerberus, and blackest Midnight born, 
In Stygian cava forlorn, 

'Mongst borrid sbapes and shrieks, and sights unholy. 
Find oat some uncouth cell, 

Where brooding darkness spreads his jealous wings, 
And the night raven sings ; 

There, under ebon shades and low-browed rocks, 
As ragged as thy locks, 

In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell. Milton. 

In repeating this passage, we shall find the darkness 
and horror of the cell wonderfully augmented, by pro- 
nouncing the eighth line, 

" There, under ebon shades, and low-browed rocks," 

in a low monotone ; which monotone may not be im- 
properly signified, by the horizontal line generally used 
to mark long quantity ; as this line is perfectly descrip- 
tive of a sameness of tone, as the acute and grave ac- 
cent are of variety. 

THE END. 









*T- <V 



*MsMW 



^gg 



3i x 



X3 ) . 



~ 3 3d 



>3 3D 



^ N 



^Ml 















• / 



831 



5 3o4A:r-v'*' 



€?'§££* 



AJ\> 



tit 






10 



3 X) ^m 

llil 



sia^ 



Ml 






im 



i ms^issv?. 












03 M^fe 



"5? S 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



m 



■'.••! 



■ 



